What Must Shall Be
by Awesome Maple
Summary: Gilbert is a high-end inspector at his police department with his life going nowhere. Matthew is a respected paramedic at the local hospital with a terrible past. When the two are paired up to get a taste of each others' job, what could possibly go wrong? PruCan, AU, human names used, rated T for "colourful language", some Nyotalia, Prussia x 2p!Canada. Complete doing mild editing.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! So I'm Awesome Maple and this is my first fan fic ever! If you were wondering, the title _What Must Shall Be_ comes from Shakespeare's play _Romeo and Juliet._ I hope you enjoy it!

~Awesome Maple

Note: I might go back and edit some things if I notice something is OOC or if there are typos.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, but apparently it owns me.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Gilbert arrived at the scene of crime, the police car's red and blue flashing lights dancing across his skin and creating a wonderful display of his long shadow. There were two other police cars and an ambulance.

Dressed smartly in his police officer uniform, he had slicked his hair back as usual, and walked up to the subordinate, officer Vargas. The house was sectioned off with the typical yellow and black 'Caution' tape and thankfully there was no crowd, though Gilbert saw curious faces of the neighbours peering through their windows into the night scene unfolding in front of them.

"What's the situation Vargas?"

"A fucking murder that's what," the Italian spat. Vargas could barely utter a sentence without some kind of insult thrown in, almost like that 'a pinch of salt' you see in so many recipes. A dash of 'bastard' or 'idiot' and sometimes some creative Italian insults.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Care to read your fucking papers before arriving at the scene of crime?" he mocked.

"Sorry for my dearest colleague not remembering that there are crimes to be solved and that watching cat videos on YouTube doesn't help."

"Okay whatever fucktard. I'll talk to your idiotic secretary later. Anyways there's a shit ton of blood all over the living room, the woman living in there is missing and the husband is strewn all over the floor—also there's this little bastard who won't come out from under th—"

"The woman killed her husband on purpose—"

"How do you know, potato bast—"

"Did you check the garage?" The Italian fell silent. Gilbert smirked. If she killed her husband on purpose it was for a few reasons: mania, relationship issues or financial. He just _knew_ she killed him. It was his gut instinct, and his gut never failed him. _Ever_. Back to the garage issue. If the car wasn't there, it was relationship issues. She'd have run off. If the car was there, it was mania or financial. If she's gone from the scene of crime, it's mania and she couldn't be far behind. Financial? She'd be pretending to be distraught over the murder.

"You check the garage. The kid is...?"

"The little bastard is under the bed on the second floor. He won't come out."  
><em><br>We'll see about that_, Gilbert thought. He stepped over the tape and into the threshold of the house. Typical white picket cookie cutter house, it was nice, with crisp, freshly cut grass. He took a tour of the bottom floor, accompanied by some random officer. Gilbert saw that it was neat and tidy and that there were no signs of disturbance apart from some unwashed dishes in the sink. Looking into the fridge, the officer sighed and was about to make some snippy comment when Gilbert raised his hand to silence her.  
><em><br>Vegan_, he wrote in his notebook. He checked the expiry dates—all fresh. He noted that the garbage was empty, and that there was not a cup out of place. Neatly put away.

He moved onto the bathroom. Flawless, the mirror looked clean. The toilet was also clean; everything was clean… Too clean.

Gilbert moved to the living room, touching the surfaces with his gloved hands, trying to ignore the stench and the mangled corpse on the ground. All cold—except one chair. It held some warmth, though someone had recently sat in it. He then expertly looked for footprints on the carpet—nothing.

Finally he looked at the nasty mess of a corpse. He didn't linger long, just enough to see that the man's left fourth finger was nowhere to be seen, and that he had been brutally slashed. It also looked as though he'd fallen out of the chair. He touched the man—cold, but not totally. He'd died very recently.

"When did you get the call of the murder?" Gilbert asked the woman as he jotted down some more notes.

"Around ten minutes ago—we entered only five minutes ago."

"She killed him while you were entering the house. She's close by. I'd say out the back door, probably under the deck or in a house nearby. It seems planned.

Either she had a sudden cause of mania or she has 'fled the house in terror'. Or she could have fled with another lover…" He'd started to mumble, jotting his notes down. A hit man? A murderer in seek of revenge? Definitely a marriage issue, his ring finger was missing. Lost in thought, he left the officer standing awkwardly while he finished up.

She felt so awkward around Investigator Beildschmidt. Everybody did while he was on the job. He was usually an extremely childish man, loud, obnoxious, and loved to randomly burst in on people while they were quietly doing their paperwork like normal people. He also hogged the coffee machine.

Had this been anybody else, the chief of the police department would have had Beildschmidt's head, but the investigator was very much respected. Basically because he was so serious on the job, like now. He was incredibly attentive to detail.

Beildschmidt suddenly broke out of his thoughts.

"Where's the kid?"

"This way, sir," the officer squeaked. Another thing that really intimidated the officer was the fact that he was albino. Or half albino. He lacked many of the traits that made albinos the way they are, save his pale skin and rather red eyes. Albinos tended to have a weaker immune system, which Beildschmidt did not have. They had strange eye shapes, as if they squinted a lot, but he didn't. His eyes were red, not a dark reddish colour. His eyebrows and eyelashes were fairly dark too.

She led him up the stairs, and into the room where an officer stood outside the open door. The officer motioned to Beildschmidt the bed, and the officer crouched down.

"Anybody under there?" He asked softly. A small sob was let loose. Pulling off his cap and rustling his hair, he got down flat on his stomach, staring at a little boy, no more than six years old. He rested he head on his crossed hands and started to ask some simple questions.

"Hey kid, what's your name?"

"Peter," he said.

"I'm inspector Gilbert Beildschmidt, but you can call me Gillyflowers," he said smiling softly, and extended his hand slowly under the bed. The kid cautiously shook it, giggling a bit at the name.

"Where are you from kid?"

"England," the kid replied, an accent in his voice.

"Hey... Wanna come out a little closer? I think you have a scratch," Gilbert frowned, and the small child wriggled forwards. There was no scratch, but as soon as Gilbert 'inspected' his face, the kid moved back immediately. That come-closer-to-me trick usually worked. _Hmm_…

So Gilbert talked to the kid for a solid fifteen minutes. From school to his favourite colour, to his favourite meal... Gilbert eventually stood up and slicked his hair back and put it under his hat, dusting some invisible dust off his uniform.

"Kid's a lost cause, we're goi—"

The kid suddenly latched onto Gilbert's foot, Gilbert smiling knowingly.

"Please don't go!" Peter sobbed loudly. Gilbert knelt and picked him up.

"I'm not going anywhere, shhh," he patted the kid's back soothingly as the child cried into his shoulder. The officers stared incredulously as Gilbert waltzed right out of room, murmuring to the child and expertly avoiding the living room and made it outside.

"We're going to have to get you to the hospital, okay kid?"

"Don't leave!" The kid was hysterical, "Gillyflowers, I don't want to be alone!"

"I'm staying with you the whole time, don't worry."

And stay he did.

He stayed with Peter as the paramedics checked him up, and promised he'd meet him at the hospital in no more than one hour. The child was reluctant, but agreed to go solo in the ambulance, immediately being hugged by the female paramedic and being put into the back with her.

"So you got the lil' fucker out," Vargas muttered, joining him as Gilbert waved to brave little Peter.

"Yep. Anyways, the woman is probably nearby—or she could be in the next town over. I'll type up my findings and tell you later what I found. For now, get the body out and to the morgue—check the deck and backyard will you? Do some research on the couple? I've got a kid to meet up with. See you around, Vargas!"

With that, Gilbert climbed into the police car, driving off as the Italian shook his head. That man knew how to do his job.

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><p>Gilbert arrived at the children's hospital and was with Peter the whole time. He held his hand as the doctors told him he had to go to a foster home, and told him that his daddy is dead and mommy is gone. Somehow, he didn't cry. He eventually told him he'd visit and that he'd come back soon. Peter nodded off to sleep and Gilbert left the hospital satisfied with his work.<p>

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><p>Gilbert crashed at home, not caring that he might have disturbed Ludwig with his terrific entrance before he had flopped down on the couch. He'd been working over time, but hey, kids gave him life.<p>

Gilbert eventually retired to the basement; sleep overtaking him. It was always the same story—wake up, go to work, do a morning case or a night case, get called off-duty and then crash at home.

Gilbert thought about this cycle often, and that he'd like a change. But there wasn't much to do, now was there? They needed good officers like him. His life was going nowhere. Gilbert fell into an uneasy sleep, wishing that he'd picked a different job.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

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><p>And there you have it, Chapter 1 of <em>What Must Shall Be<em>! We have so far met our grumpy Italian brother, and that Gilbert lives with Ludwig. We see that our precious Gilbert is unhappy with his life... Will this terribly boring lifestyle end? What other characters will we meet?

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it!

~Awesome Maple


	2. Chapter 2

I'm back! Hopefully some questions will be answered from the last chapter... who knows!

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, sadly.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Gilbert was off today as he woke up at 7:00 AM, as usual. Bliss. He was so happy about that. He groaned as he remembered he had to accompany Peter to the adoption centre. Why had he made such a promise? Don't get him wrong—he loved kids, but he also needed a rest.

Gilbert dressed casually in a pair of dark jeans and a white shirt, showing off his handsome body. He threw on a sweater and sauntered up the steps of his brother's basement, and walked over to the kitchen

"Hey West," Gilbert greeted his brother, who was reading a book at the table and sipping some coffee. His brother mumbled back a hello. He didn't know where the nickname came from; it just suited him. Gilbert reached into the fridge, grabbing a carton of milk and then made himself some toast. He ate quickly, and his brother watched him, disapprovingly.

"You do know that you look disgusting when you shovel food in your mouth like that, right?"

"Screw off, I'm awesome," Gilbert replied, "I am way too cool to look bad. Ever."

"Whatever you say, Bruder."

He ate in silence. When he was finished, he dumped his stuff in the sink and muttered an "I'll be back for lunch," and was off.

His brother sighed once Gilbert left the house, closing the front door with an audible click. He knew Gilbert had become unhappy with his job. The homicides were too easy for Gilbert to decipher—it was no longer a challenge. That's what Gilbert had loved so much. Ludwig set down his book, _How to Smile Naturally_, and started to think.

Maybe Gilbert could try working with someone else; a change in scenery, instead of having to do all the cases alone. A partner. Ludwig liked the idea. Maybe he could be paired up with a doctor and could learn a few tricks here and there.

Ludwig smiled at his own genius, and proceeded to call the police department, telling him of his plan.

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><p>Gilbert arrived at the hospital quickly, and made his way to the children's hospital. He hated hospitals—he felt crammed and the white was too flashy. People stared at his partial albinism, and the shock of white hair disturbed them, as well as his eyes. Sometimes the staff questioned him where his room was, and that he shouldn't be in the children's section. Although this usually never bothered Gilbert, because his looks made him all the more awesome, but he sometimes wore coloured contacts and a wig to cover up to avoid the stares. Besides, the kids thought it was totally badass and always wanted to touch his hair and look at his eyes.<p>

He made his way over to Peter's room, and the kid was awake. He lit up like a Christmas tree when Gilbert approached him, and Gilbert threw on a smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm good."

"Awesome."

The nurse there was awestruck. Partial albinism… Gilbert gave her a quick glare and she squeaked, going back to her work, but continued stealing some glances in his direction. He was rather handsome.

* * *

><p>Gilbert accompanied the boy to the orphanage, and gave him a long good bye hug. Peter, smiling watery-eyed, watched as Gilbert pulled out of the parking lot. He promised to come back. Peter sure hoped so.<p>

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><p>Gilbert was watching a movie at home, relaxing after having sent Peter off earlier that day with a bowl of popcorn by his side and the remote on the other. He was watching Mrs Doubtfire, a hilarious movie he never grew tired of watching.<p>

Just as Mrs Doubtfire had been caught peeing standing, the phone rang upstairs. Groaning, he paused the movie and walked over from the living room to the kitchen.

"Beildschmidt household," he grumbled professionally.

_"Ah, officer! How are you?_" He heard the cheery voice of his and Lukas Bondevik's joined secretary, Mathias Køler, on the other end.

"Why are you calling me? It's my off day! There are other rookies who—"

"_Gilbert that's not what I'm calling you for,_" Mathias cut him off. Gilbert narrowed his eyes. He never cut Gilbert off. There was a moment of silence on the other end.

"_They've decided that you will be changing positions for a while. You will be given a change in scenery!_"

"Uh..." Gilbert was dumbfounded. Changing his job? Who took this decision? Why? What would he be doing? Was it permanent? Temporary?

"_Wanna come over and see what you're doing_?" Mathias asked excitedly.

"I'll be over in twenty." He hung up.

Gilbert, intrigued, hurried to switch out of his sweat pants and into what he'd been wearing earlier that morning. Locking the house, he drove over to the police station briskly, and walked over to his joint office on the third floor.  
>Mathias was sitting excitedly and had been clearly expecting Gilbert, papers on his desk. Their office was setup with a small hallway-like corridor with two smaller hallways leading off—one to Lukas' office and one to Gilbert's. They had a printer room and a small bathroom too. Mathias' desk was in the hallway-like entrance area.<p>

He motioned for Gilbert to enter Gilbert's office, and they plunked themselves down onto the chairs opposite each other, Gilbert's desk separating them.

"Go on," Gilbert motioned to the stack of papers in his secretary's hand.

"Okay so essentially the chief wants to get you to try and work with somebody completely out of the police station—he wants you to work with a doctor or nurse of some kind. The reason is so that the inspector rookies can actually try being inspectors without us always relying on you to solve cases. Opening up jobs for the younger generation, see?" Gilbert barely understood Mathias' speech, mainly since he was ranting.

Once the info processed in his head, he shrugged.

"Sure."

"Great! Now let's look at the various hospital staff you'll work with. Basically you're teaching each other stuff, your hospital person is going to be teaching you the more medical and responding quickly to emergencies, while you'll be showing how to analyze a crime scene," Mathias was breathless.

"You're not the only one—officer Vargas is doing the same thing."

"Awesome!" Gilbert exclaimed. He really liked this idea of learning a new skill. He was really warming up to the idea. They started looking over some profiles.

"Any ideas?"

Gilbert thought for a moment. When he was a kid, he'd wanted to be a paramedic, but ended up in the police field instead. Maybe he could try a paramedic.

"Any paramedics?"

"Yeah. There's only one though, so you don't get much choice. His name is Matt Williams."

Mathias handed Gilbert the profile of this so-called Matt. He had his hair in a small blond ponytail with a weird curl that stuck out and he had stubble.

Apparently he was Canadian and an ex-Royal Canadian Mountain Police officer before moving to the states as a paramedic after his wife left him.

Interesting.

"When do I meet him?" Gilbert asked.

"Tomorrow, if you want!" Mathias exclaimed happily. That guy was way too hyper. He must have had too much coffee this morning. Mathias and coffee was never a good combination.

"Awesome," Gilbert stood up, exiting his office, "see you tomorrow! Thanks for the info!"

Mathias waved and Gilbert left the office, searching for Vargas.

"Hey, asshat!" Gilbert whirled around, hearing his colleague's angry voice. He grinned.

"Who'd you get?"

"I got some Canadian paramedic. You?"

"A Spanish bastard who works with physiotherapy for kids aged 5-12 years old," the Italian spat, as usual. _Was it really that hard to not swear?_ Gilbert was amused. His colleague never ceased to brighten his day with that sour look on his face and sharp tongue.

"I take it you don't like this idea," Gilbert grinned playfully.

The Italian was caught a little off guard, before he started babbling, red like a tomato.

"I mean yeah, it looks interesting but he's probably a stupid idiot who is super mushy and annoying I mean kids are fun, I guess but... Oh fuck you!" Romano huffed and stalked off, mumbling an embarrassed goodbye and flipping Gilbert the bird as Gilbert keeled over laughing.

For once, Gilbert was actually happy. This would be an interesting experience.

He spent the rest of the day harassing his colleagues, much to everybody's delight. Gilbert had grown too serious over the last couple of months—it unnerved them. He had become serious on the job (normal) but also off of the job (really weird). His laugh had stopped ringing in the halls, he'd sulk in his office and watch soap operas. He'd actually _do his paper work_.

But finally, the police station's Gilbert was back. He was like their own personal mascot, almost like their collective kid. He always forgot his lunch and never did his paperwork. He loved to prank people and generally bothering them. Gilbert was back to his childish self, and the station was relieved.

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><p>Matt was sleeping peacefully, imagining Yekaterina still wrapped in his arms, her soft hair tickling his nose... And then his dream shifted to when he had come home a little early, and heard some strange noises upstairs.<p>

Matt woke up, startled. He hated reliving that memory. Every night, he was plagued by the dream—the nightmare.

Matt quickly got out of bed, swearing and cursing both his wife and her... _Lover_, he mentally spat, to eternal hell.

"_Osti tabarnack criss maudit!_ Fucking _shit_!" Matt swore, checking the clock. He was going to be late of meeting the inspector.  
><em><br>Well fuck him_, Matt thought. He was too upset by the dream.

Matt brushed out his hair and tied it in a neat ponytail, and threw on a flannel shirt and jeans.

He locked his apartment and quickly drove over to the police station where he was supposed to meet this Beildschmidt albino guy. Matt had to admit, he was curious about his "partial albinism" which had never been seen before. He was excited to get to be a law enforcer again.

Pulling into the parking lot, he headed over to the main desk. Man this was going to be awkward.

"I'm here to see Inspector Beildschmidt," Matt said. _Osti_, Matt thought for no reason.

"Just a minute!" The chipper secretary said. She was annoying him. Matt was an impatient man.

"He'll be down in a moment!" The lady said. Matt thanked her and proceeded to sit on a waiting chair. A few minutes later, a man with white hair and pale skin walked in, scanning the room. His eyes landed on Matt, who stood up and shook his hand.

"Matt Williams," Matt said stiffly.

"Gilbert Beildschmidt," Gilbert slapped the Canadian's back. Touchy-feely guy... Damn it. "But you can call me Gil."

"Beildschmidt will do just fine," Matt said sourly. Gilbert shrugged off Matt's stiffness and grinned.

"Wanna go for a coffee?" Matt thought about it, and nodded. This guy started chattering, and he noticed how much he used 'awesome' in his vocabulary.

They went over to Gilbert's car and Gilbert still wouldn't shut the fuck up.

This was going to be one long year.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

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><p>Wow, Matt is such a potty mouth! We really see that 2p!Canada shining through, especially through his attitude and mouth towards Gilbert. Who knew they could dislike each other? And they are stuck together for a full <em>year<em>! Also, check out "Mrs. Doubtfire". It's a hilarious movie!

I am using a French Canadian slang called "joual" which was popular during the 1960s Quiet Revolution. Most of them are extremely offensive towards the church, and the reason was because they (the Québécois) were starting to grow independent from it. Read up on it! Joual is practically an art... and a difficult one to master!

Why was Matt so angry about his dream? What is, or was, Yekaterina's (Ukraine) role in Matt's life? Was Matt always this sour? Can Gilbert change him?

We also met Mathias (Denmark) and it was hinted that Lukas (Norway) is involved, as is Antonio (Spain), although we haven't met Lukas and Antonio directly yet. Note: Yekaterina/Ekaterina/etc. doesn't have a canon name, but the fandom calls her Yekaterina usually.

Translations:

_Osti tabarnack criss maudit! _: Damn fucking tabernacle Christ! (Direct translations are strange, as it would be fucking tabernacle christ cursed, which doesn't make _as much_ sense. I will be translating them as best as I can. (Funny, because I'm the one coming up with these. It's hard to translate your own stuff.)).

_Osti_ : Fuck/fucking

Real colourful there Matt. Real colourful.

~Awesome Maple


	3. Chapter 3

What day is it today? Thursday! Well, approximately 1:00 (AM) Eastern Time Zone... I posted 2x last Monday so people could check out the story but now I will update normally on Thursday & Sunday. Sorry this chapter is like, less than half of the previous one, but this chapter has a lot more dialogue between the two! I usually will post a bit more. It depends all on what's happening, really.

_NOTE: Thank you so much "Guest" for telling me Norway's actual name! I went back and changed it. _

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Within an hour of knowing Matt, he'd really started to hate him. Right now they were stuck at McDonald's with a raging storm outside. _Damn... Canadians were supposed to be nice! What the hell?_

"So..." Matt said, and it sounded forced. They'd tried to make small talk, but both men clearly did not enjoy each other's company. At all.

They made small talk this whole time, going to get a bite to eat at McDonald's and then it started pouring rain. Their one or two hour meet up was turning out to be three. They'd been stuck _that long_ in McD's, and it was turning out to be really awkward really fast.

"Wanna play 21 questions?" Matt proposed. Gilbert and Matt guessed they'd have to get to know each other over the course of the year. A year! Might as well do some basics now.

"Favorite food?"

"Wurst."

"Pancakes."

"Drink?"

"Beer."

"Same!"

The Canadian was actually genuinely... Not grumpy. Beer bonding. Although German beer was probably better than Canadian beer. He'd have to try it to be sure.

"House or apartment?"

"I live in my brother's basement."

"Haha lame. I live in an apartment."

"Hmm... Favourite car?"

"Audi A6"

"Ford pick up trucks."

"Colour?"

"I'd have to say white and black, like the Prussian flag."

The Canadian raised his eyebrows and turned to the German. They'd been watching the steady downpour, never making eye contact.

"You have Prussian roots?"

"Yep. I'm awesome."

"Why the hell do you keep saying 'awesome'?"

"Because my buddies always called me awesome so it stuck." _Woah there_, _Gilbert!_ Gilbert mentally slapped himself. He'd just told Matt why he used the word awesome. That was for better acquaintances, not a shitty Canadian you just met!

"Anyways," Gilbert coughed awkwardly, "favourite sport?"

"What the hell do you think I like?" Matt deadpanned.

"Hockey?"

"Yeah no shit. You?"

"Uh... I don't have any. I guess soccer is pretty awesome. I like free diving, that's pretty awe—"

"You have vocabulary issues, don't you?" Matt snapped at him, "We're going have to fix that."

"... Sorry." Matt grumbled angrily. He had to try harder to be compatible with this guy.

"Woah! Matth—"

"—for the last mother fucking goddamn hell shitting time, WILLIAMS—"

"Apologized!" Beildschmidt looked at Matt incredulously before laughing his ass off.

"Why are you so... Profane in language?" Gilbert asked once he'd calmed down. This guy would be Romano's best buddy.

"I'm partially from Quebec. They swear a lot. It's an art," Matt longed for Canada. His beautiful country. The country he had to leave because of—_don't have these thought here Matt!_ _Not here._

"Yo. Earth to Williams?" Gilbert snapped his fingers in front of the Canadian, who slapped his hand away.

"You spaced out," Gilbert informed him. Matt told him to "mange donc un chard de marde," and that "j'men fiche."

"Arrête d'm' achaler," Matt grumbled when Gilbert started teasing him for random things.

"What's up with the curl?" Gilbert asked curiously, reaching up to touch it, before being violently slapped. Doesn't the guy have a sense of a personal bubble?

"What's up with the albinism?" Matt retorted. Gilbert looked crestfallen, and Matt knew he'd taken it too far. But now the curiosity itched him.

"Like not in a rude way," Matt tried to redeem himself, growing red, "but as a doctor I'm curious. What's up with it?"

"Apparently I lack just a lot of pigmentation and my eyes are abnormally bright. Like I have normal stuff working, but I burn easy and I need contact lenses..." Gilbert trailed off. He was still offended.

"Look! The rain stopped," Matt pointed out to break the awkward, heavy tension. The men exited the McDonald's and walked over to Gilbert's car.

"Where do you want to start?" Gilbert asked the fierce Canadian once he'd pulled up in the parking lot of the police station.

"I guess we could start with paramedic stuff tomorrow," Matt grumbled, "meet me at the hospital entrance B."

"Time?"

"8:00 AM."

"Okay. "

"See you."

With that, Matt left. Gilbert saw the car tear out of the parking lot. He still felt bad though. _What's up with the albinism?_ Rang in his ears. That was a seriously low blow. Gilbert rested his head on the wheel.

_This is going to be tough._

* * *

><p>Back home, Matt felt like crap. That was a <em>seriously<em> shitty comment.

"_Sacré bleu de la viarge_," Matt fumbled with his apartment keys, "I have to make it up to him..."

Matt threw himself into the couch. _I'm such an idiot_.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Wow Matt... you jerk! Low blow bro. So we can see how much they hate each other... you're probably thinking: "this is supposed to be PruCan!11!1!" it is, give them time. What will happen next? 'Tomorrow' they are starting 'paramedic stuff'. What do you think that means? We didn't meet any new characters in this chapter, sadly. What "bad thoughts" was Matt having? We'll see on Sunday (maybe heheheh). (We'll get there eventually—I promise!). As for rude Canadians, the stereotype is that Justin Bieber is the only horrible Canadian... We're sorry... He wasn't supposed to escape...<p>

By the way, **THIS SATURDAY IS HETALIA DAY**! I'm going as Prussia, and it's going to be so awesome!

Translations

_Mange donc un chard de marde_ - Go eat shit

_J'men fiche_ - I don't care

_Arrête d'm' achaler_ - Stop bothering me

_Sacré bleu de la viarge_ - Holy Mother of God

Anyways, I hope you have a great week! See you on Sunday c:

~Awesome Maple


	4. Chapter 4

Woohoo! Sunday!

So yesterday was the 25 of October 2014... also known as Hetalia Day! It was really fun, but it was super duper cold where I was, unfortunately, so we didn't get as many people who could come. We also had a last-minute location change because there was a shooting downtown, where we were supposed to be originally, and this made it so that some people couldn't actually come due to location. Even though the shooter is dead, we decided to move it anyways just to be careful. We moved it to the complete other side of town blurgh. This is depressing.

We had a potluck (awesome, I brought baked potatoes that we ended up using as hand heaters) and we played a couple games. An England brought badass scones which we ended up feeding to birds, and our Romania brought triple salted liquorice and had a competition to see who could keep it in our mouths the longest.

ANYWAYS I have a new chapter for you all! Finally we get to see Gilbert's first day on the job, as promised in the last chapter. So exciting! Also... we meet a new character briefly. I wonder who it is. Welp, let's read to find out!

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia

_Warning: Death, victim(s) of fire (not explicitly described, just mentioned)._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

The next day Matt woke up in a cold sweat at 6:00 AM, as usual. _Calisse tabarnack_, that stupid memory couldn't leave, could it? It had been 6 years..._ Stop it Matt_. Matt violently threw off the covers, nearly squashing his cat, Kumasomething. Poor thing, he could barely remember the white cat's name. He got up and took a quick shower, trying to think of something else. His mind wandered to the albino who wouldn't shut up, otherwise known as Gilbert.

He groaned at yesterday's slip up and tried to think of something to fix the situation... Maybe get him breakfast? Maybe he's forgotten about it.

Matt was at entrance B of the hospital at 7:55 sharp, ready for the albino's head to bob between the parked cars. Matt didn't have to wait long. He saw Gilbert's car drive with fluidity and precision to a parking spot, parking perfectly. He had to admit, he'd never seen such good parking skills before. 8:00 on the dot. At least he was punctual.

Gilbert jogged over to him, sporting a plain shirt and jeans, much like Matt.

"Morning Matt!" Gilbert grinned as he approached him, and Matt was about to reprimand him when he remembered yesterday. _Maybe I should just let him call me not by my last name_...

"Hi," Matt returned stiffly as he led him inside, "ready for today?"

"Sure am! What do we start with?"

Matt was getting almost nauseous by how excited Gilbert was. He was practically an oversized kid! His eyes shone whereas Matt's were dull from his nightmare. Gilbert was a little older than Matt by a year or two, yet acted as though he acted ten years younger. He had a bounce in his step that Matt had lost years ago, when he'd entered adulthood. He smacked Gilbert violently, which led to Gilbert protesting and questioning Matt's violent, random action.

"We start with a couple basic things, then we're going to get more and more specific as we go along," Matt explained, and Gilbert nodded. Matt led his companion down to the paramedic training area was, and got Gilbert some paramedic clothes, changing into his as well in another room.

"They're like PJs!" Gilbert exclaimed. Matt shoved him into the training room with the other trainees. His colleague, Lars, was patiently taking attendance of the trainees that were trickling into the room and chatting amongst themselves. _People are too damn cheery._

"Ah," Lars looked up to Matt, "your trainer is here! His name is Matt Williams, and you will address him as 'sir', got it folks?" The trainees quieted at the sound of Lars' voice and nodded nervously as Matt practically glared at them. Lars was a tall man, a Dutch immigrant who moved to their town ten years ago, who mostly specialized in working with elderly patients during emergency situations. He was calm and approachable (that may be because of a light odour of weed that always seemed to cling to his clothing) and always lent a helping hand to Matt, and vice-versa. He'd been there for Matt during many times of crisis.

"Have a fun lesson!" Lars popped out of the room, closing the door with a loud squeak and click.

Silence.

"Okay kids," Matt started, "I could give less than one shit about your names, so I will call you all Jim—and that includes the women."

"So first off, we're going to visualize a mini scenario: you arrive at the scene and there are three victims on the ground. What do you do?"

The dozen or so pairs of eyes stared blankly at Matt. _Criss calice d'bapteme du calvaire, are they really that fucking stupid? No ideas?_ Matt was about to mouth them off when a hand shot up, and Gilbert excitedly exclaimed,

"Call 911!"

"_YOU ARE 911!_"

Matt sighed. This was going to be a _long_ class.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, Matt was ready to tear his golden locks right out of his skull. Gilbert was terrible at classroom learning! And he had to teach him out of class to speed things up!<p>

But it came to an end in about two weeks after gruelling hours of training. Yes, Gilbert was absolutely infuriating, to say the least, but then again... The guy learned quick. _Really_ quick. He had a pretty great work ethic, once he was actually _concentrated_ on the task at hand.

He had learned in two weeks what people learned in six months. Of course it was every single day for hours and hours but it paid off, and two weeks later they were sitting side by side in an ambulance waiting for a call.

"_Williams?_" Matt heard the static go on and he snatched the walkie talkie, setting it up "on".

"Yes?"

"_742 Gravensteins Avenue, there's been a fire. Five victims_."

"Got it."

With that Matt hit the sirens and sped to the address given by the GPS. He prayed that Gilbert would act like an adult. He prayed that Gilbert wouldn't screw up too bad. Or else he'd beat him up and make sure he couldn't walk for a week.

He stole a glance at his partner, and was surprised to see grim determination, a terrifyingly uncharacteristic frown that Gilbert never sported. The outgoing Gilbert that Matt knew was gone without a trace, not even a twinkle in his red eyes was present. It was... Unsettling.

When they arrived at the burnt house, they immediately spotted a three victims lying on the grass being attended by paramedics, and two firemen hauling another out. Matt and Gilbert rushed to get the stretcher, and the fire men gingerly set the victim on the stretcher before running back to the house.

"She's breathing," Gilbert analyzed, "her pulse is 50 bpm and it's a 3rd degree burn on the left side of her body. She may need to amputate a hand."

"Third bottle on—"

"I _know,_ Matt." Matt raised his eyebrows.

Gilbert helped Matt load the stretcher into the ambulance, and Matt watched from the driver's seat as Gilbert quickly put in the IV and applied all the proper medications. Matt was extremely impressed. He'd never seen somebody simply know these things and what to do off the top of their head.

"What are you doing?" Gilbert glared, "She's dying! Go! Drive!"

Matt slapped himself mentally and drove top speed to the ER at the hospital.

"Her left lung collapsed," Matt heard Gilbert inform him from the back seat. He pressed the gas harder.

Once they got to the EICU (Emergency Intensive Care Unit) down the burns section, they were stopped by the nurses who rushed the girl to the emergency operating room. They didn't need to go on.

"But Matt I need to be there for her!" Gilbert insisted as he was restrained by Matt. He looked like he was on the verge of crying.

"Gilbert," Matt sat Gilbert down firmly in a chair and forced him to look him in the eye, crouching in front of him.

"We only bring them to the hospital. We don't do anything beyond that—"

"But I wanted to see her in her last moments, Matt," Gilbert whispered.

"W-what do you mean?" Matt frowned, standing up.

"The doctors know," Gilbert said. He'd noticed that he had been talking on the radio while he was driving towards the end, but couldn't hear what Gilbert was saying.

"Her lung collapsed and she stopped breathing. She's b-brain dead from lack of oxygen. The doc said there was a maybe, maybe a chance of survival, but that car that wouldn't let us pass at the intersection made us lose time—it's my fault! She's dead because of me," Gilbert started sobbing, covering his face, "I wasn't fast enough to do anything! I'm so stupid!" He started mumbling incoherent sentences of self-blaming.

Matt was usually terrible at comforting people, so he had no idea what to do.

"Let's go for a little walk Gilbert," Matt proposed, and Gilbert nodded, still sobbing.

He led his emotional colleague out the door, ignoring the sympathetic glances of the nurses and shooing them away, and they took a walk in a park Matt went to when he wanted to calm down. After a while, they sat down on a bench, breathing the fresh, crisp air.

Once Gilbert was finally able to form a coherent sentence he whispered, "I-I didn't even know her name..."

"We could go to her funeral, if you want," Matt suggested softly. Gilbert nodded. _It wasn't good to get this attached to patients._

A couple minutes later of staring at the pine trees and anywhere except the Canadian's worried face, he finally sniffled, "so unawesome," and let out a forced laugh, which died immediately.

The men sat at a bench in an awkward silence. Gilbert _hated_ crying.

"Want a hot chocolate?" Matt suggested.

"In a few minutes," Gilbert said, "once my face clears up..."

Silence again.

"It's normal the first couple times-" Matt started.

"What," Gilbert turned venomously, "to kill a patient?"

"No. To be emotional when you lose a patient at any time," Matt said softly as he recalled loosing his first couple patients. He talked about it as though it was nothing, but he couldn't ponder for long about the lives of the affected and such. He was there to treat the patient and bring them to the hospital. That's it. He wasn't required to go and meet the patients after. For him it was simple: either they lived or they died.

"But sometimes we cry from happiness, when our patient makes it through," he smiled genuinely, "against all odds." Gilbert stared at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing ever. He nodded slightly.

Silence...

Finally the two stood up, Gilbert's face having lost it's puffiness and eyes were less bloodshot, and headed over to a nearby Tim Hortons, ready for a hot chocolate. And then, an hour later, Gilbert was back to his old self. But the sadness still hung in his eyes.

Gilbert wouldn't be sleeping well tonight.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Wowzies, that was sad! Sorry if I pulled a couple heart strings.<p>

So we got some action going! We finally got to see Gilbert on the job with Matt and get to see Gilbert's serious side emerge once again, just as he did in the first chapter. Matt's temper seems to have calmed down a bit, or at least knows how to be respectful and how to sort of handle a crying individual.

We got to meet Lars! I plan on cosplaying him, and I really like how Matt and Lars have historical connections, so I decided to try to build a friendship between the two which we will see more later. This was more of a "hey look! they're bros! i wonder why!" kind of taste. Well, the bottom line is that we'll see some interaction between the two later.

As for the warning at the beginning, I was a little worried some people might get triggered by reading about third degree burns and death by fire? I'm not sure, so I put these little notes in just in case. Not sure if it was necessary, but you never know! Better to be careful.

Translations

_Calisse tabarnack _- Chalice tabernacle

__Criss calice d'bapteme du calvaire _- _Christs' chalice baptism of Calvary (Calvary is where Christ was crucified)

ANYWAYS

I hope you have a great week. Do your homework, get some exercise, eat healthy, get sleep and make sure you take some breaks! See you on Thursday!

~Awesome Maple

P.S. Sorry I keep fixing the chapter and keep going back to edit them, but my dearest most awesome friend pointed out that Matthew is 1p and Matt is 2p, so I went back and changed everything to Matt. There are also the occasional typo that I need to fix. Not to mention the fact that they sometimes act out of character (ooc)... but then again, you never see these guys in these kinds of situations! You'll see their usual selves back when they are in their "normal settings", you could say.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey there! So not much news, except that TOMORROW'S GONNA GET SPOOKY SINCE IT'S HALLOWEEN! I'll be Prussia again.

Anyways, behold a small plot advancement!

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia...

_Warning: Brief mention of drowning, no death_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Gilbert watched Matt as he worked intently on making a man breathe after he'd nearly drowned in his friend's pool. He noted how Matt would have an unfeeling look in his deep blue eyes, and had purely mechanical actions. There was no 'gut' feeling that Gilbert so heavily relied on—Matt was a different case altogether. It was Matt and his patient.

He seemed to be in his own little world, giving CPR and occasionally asking Gilbert to fetch something from the bag they brought with them, but other than that, he was closed off from his surroundings.

He was a man who didn't do well with people, that part was sure. He was hostile to basically everything, including a rock in his path that had once made the stretcher bounce significantly. Gilbert smiled internally at the memory.

Matt kept doing CPR and he could see Matt's muscles contracting and flexing with each movement. He had to admire that from Matt. He had incredible stamina.

Suddenly, as Matt was about to give another breath into the man, the man before then coughed violently, water spurting up from his mouth. Matt expertly rolled the man to his side to help clear the airways and told Gilbert a couple things to write down so he could give a full report.

"Hnuughhhnnn" the man groaned, and Gilbert and Matt helped him onto the stretcher, rolling him up the ramp and into the ambulance.

"Is he going to be alright?" A woman, most likely a relative, asked. Gilbert's gut said sister-in-law. Gilbert looked over the man who was blinking confusedly.

"Yeah," Gilbert said sincerely, smiling with a genuine look in his eyes.

"Thank you," the woman whispered as he closed the doors.

"No problem," Gilbert winked, "it's my job."

He was a little surprised when he said that. It wasn't really his job. _I mean it sort of is... _Gilbert focused on the task at hand.

"Where am unhhh...?" The man looked at Gilbert and groaned.

"We're bringing you to the ER," Gilbert assured the man, "you'll be fine," he paused.

"Are you uncomfortable? Do you need anything?" Gilbert asked as he checked the man's capillary refills and took his pulse, which had returned back to normal.

"I'm a little cold..." Gilbert threw on a blanket and the man smiled.

"Thanks..."

They arrived at the ER and the man was wheeled away, giving Gilbert a thankful smile and Gilbert returned it. He preferred kids… but somehow, adults were okay too.

"How the fuck are you so good with people?" Matt asked once they had sat down in the office, writing up a report on what had happened.

"I don't know," Gilbert said as he wrote, "why are you so bad with them?"

"I-I don't know... " Matt trailed off. They sat in silence, the only noise being Gilbert's pen scratching on the paper.

Gilbert's handwriting was small and angular, like a weird mix of cursive and non-cursive writing. Matt watched his partner being so focused on the report. He was very serious about saving lives.

Gilbert's personality made Matt's head hurt. When he was off the job, he was the most childish adult he'd ever met. He liked to mess with Matt and pull small pranks while Matt waited for the next call. He was loud and boisterous and outgoing. He had a bright smile. His eyes twinkled.

But then, as soon as he heard the static cackle with a new emergency, he would shut up and focus, listening to his next task. It was a complete personality switch.

Gilbert on the job was the best partner Matt had ever had; they worked great as a team. They finished each other's actions and often didn't need to talk. They astounded the other paramedics on the scene as they worked quickly on the person, and they hadn't lost a patient since the first time. In Gilbert's defence, not even Matt, one of the most respected paramedics, would have been able to save her.

But once Gilbert was off the job, Matt constantly had this burning desire to beat him up with a hockey stick. He wanted to tear his hair out of his head. Gilbert went back to becoming loud and obnoxious—and constantly wanted to touch his stupid curl. Matt wondered why he had ever agreed to this idea of collaborating with somebody else—oh he'd give _anything_ not to be with Gilbert.

But somehow, Gilbert's loud personality brought a little dead part of him back to life. Matt began to think of his childhood and all the good moments he had. At night, he kept having the nightmare, but sometimes dreamt of a fond childhood memory before it morphed and slowly gave way to the nightmare.

Gilbert made Matt want to beat Gilbert up... But at the same time, Matt wanted to keep working with him. He'd never saved so many lives. It was incredible. It was an empowering feeling.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, once Gilbert and Matt had parted ways for the day, Gilbert went out to find his buddy Romano, hoping he would be at the police station with his Spaniard.<p>

No luck.

Gilbert went on to bug his colleagues and eventually went to see Peter around 6:00 PM.

The boy was doing well, and had been adopted to a gay couple, Tino and Berwald. He was leaving the orphanage the next morning.  
>Gilbert played with Peter and visited his friends, but left to go home eventually. He was starved.<p>

* * *

><p>Ludwig patiently awaited his brother.<p>

"I'm home!" Gilbert sang, banging the door open. Ludwig sighed happily. His brother was back. He scowled. But he was such a troublemaker. He'd probably flirted with half the hospital staff.

"How was your day?" Ludwig put the soup and Wurst on the table for the two.

"Awesome! We saved a man from drowning and I got to see Peter again—and he made all these friends at the orphanage—man you should have seen them—they were so cute!" Gilbert babbled and ate his food, taking breaks only to swallow. His eyes were lit up with that fiery personality and Ludwig sighed—would his news dampen it?

"West," Gilbert was concerned, "did something happen with Feliciana?"

How did Gilbert know that's what he was going to say? He knew how to read him far too well. Ludwig wanted to focus on his older brother's improvement… He didn't want to direct attention to him.

"I uh..." Ludwig stumbled upon his words, getting red. The fire in his brother's eyes was still raging, but now he was concerned for his little brother. It was touching for Ludwig to see his older brother care.

"You can tell me," Gilbert said softly. Ludwig finally mustered the courage to utter, faintly, "it's complicated..."

He didn't know where to start.

"Uh... Felicia..." Ludwig had lost his appetite, "I am starting to really like her. She's really cute and I want to date her but we're best friends... and you know, you work with her brother. But she doesn't like me, I mean, she's into this other dude but at the same time she's not and she is giving me all these weird signals and it's so confusing!"

Gilbert paused and thought, before grinning and bursting with laughter.

"It's not funny!"

Gilbert turned serious and grabbed his brothers hand and stared at him right in the eye;

"Two things. 1. You have my blessing. 2. ... May you '_make the beast with two backs_'!" Gilbert ran off, cackling before Ludwig realized what he'd said.

"YOU _ARSCHLOCH!"_

He proceeded to try and chase Gilbert, but to no avail—Gilbert was safely down in his basement, and had locked the door. Ludwig leaned his head against the door and whispered: "Thanks for number 1..."

Gilbert stifled a laugh on the other side, but otherwise was happy for his bro. Hopefully Felicia, Ludwig's best friend of ten years, would accept and help loosen Ludwig up. Gilbert didn't mind the fact that he worked with Romano.

Gilbert swiftly went to bed after yelling a goodnight to Ludwig, happy and satisfied with the day's positive events.

Finally, Gilbert's life was turning around.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Okay so a little plot happened, not much, but still. "Make the beast with two backs" is from Othello (another amazeballs Shakespearian play). I think you can guess what it means...<p>

There's not much action, but we have had a mention of a certain Italian girl! Again, Gilbert's dual personality is mentioned. Not much Matt as I'd like, but I wanted to show Gilbert and Ludwig's brotherly relationship. You didn't get much though, I'll develop it more later on/have some more interaction between the two. Again with the mention of this mysterious Spanish man! Who knows if we'll meet him! Who will we meet next? Or will we meet anybody in the next chapter? I wonder!

Anyways sorry for the super short chapter! I'm kind of busy with school. The next chapter will probably have some material, but I know that a filler chapter might be coming up. Don't give up though! I will display some personal interests in that chapter, most likely. Occasionally filler chapters to show personal tastes can be useful.

See you Sunday!

~Awesome Maple


	6. Chapter 6

Hello all!

Anyways, yadda yadda yadda new chapter, halloween was super spoopy on Friday, I watched the Rocky Horror Picture Show with a really close friend who cosplays Germany/Russia (and went as Russia) woohoo, NOW ON TO THE CHAPTER.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, and I am glad, for I believe I would not be able to bear all that responsibility of feels.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Finally a day off.

Gilbert noticed that while Matt had a hectic life on the job, once he was off the job he had no surprise phone calls. While Matt was amongst the highest and most respected paramedics, there were still lots and lots of people available to take any emergencies.

Matt was able to kick back and relax for the times he wasn't on call. Plus this guy was _way_ more efficient than Gilbert. He did all his paperwork while he was waiting for his shift to actually start while he was in the office. Usually Gilbert and Matt would meet and part during Matt's emergency working shifts, but never when Matt was at home or doing his papers.

One day, Mathias called Gilbert on his day off. He had been calmly drinking his morning tea while sitting on a high stool on the kitchen's white marble counter when the home phone decided to emit a shrill sound, surprising Gilbert and causing him to nearly drop his drink from the surprise.

"_Hey officer!"_

"What's up Mathias?" Gilbert was mildly irritated as he clutched the wireless phone a little tighter.

"_So. Boss was wondering if you and Matt could actually go to each other's houses while you're working with each other_—"

"What?" Gilbert spat out his tea on the practice papers Matt have him. _Damn it. He's going to be super mad._

"The guy is always angry at me! He practically hates me!"

"_What? I thought you got along fine_..."

"Yeah, _on the job_," Gilbert tried washing the tea off his papers as he balanced the phone between his ear and shoulder, "but he hates me during break time! He has this permanent... Death look in his eyes, as if he wants to murder me all the time!"

He screwed up his papers. Dang. Now Matt was going to be _really_ mad. They had an ugly yellow stain _and _were completely soaked, the ink running everywhere, making it illegible. _Argh. _A few fluttered to the floor, and as Gilbert tried to listen to what Mathias was saying on the other end, he somehow ended up spilling his scalding tea on himself as he tried to set it on the counter. In the panic of the moment, dropped the phone and the rest of his papers on the floor. Mathias kept chattering on the other end, oblivious to the chaos on the other end of the line. Gilbert picked up the phone, and just caught Mathias' last words of the conversation.

"_Well still_," Mathias said in a chipper manner, "_Boss' orders!_" With that, Gilbert heard the line go dead.

_Damn it_, he thought, _Matt won't be very happy_.

* * *

><p>"WE'RE WHAT?" Matt yelled. He couldn't believe it! The guy had to see how he lived his private life. <em>Private<em>. The guy was... Arghh!

_Sacra Viarge du criss du calvaire! I can't have over at my house for the rest of our time together!_

He slammed the phone before his boss could say anything else.

He pulled out his phone and texted Gilbert (who set his contact name as "Gibby");

**Me**: I'm sure you've received the news. I'll come pick you up in an hour. What's your address?

**Gibby**: 6937 Eagle Street  
><strong><br>Me**: okay. See you in an hour.  
><strong><br>Gibby**: cya ;D

_Osti d'calisse, he's so immature_, Matt thought. With that, he prepared dinner and a place for Matt to sleep, making sure his room was far away from his.

* * *

><p>Gilbert was ready in five or so minutes, and wasn't quite sure what to do for the next 55 minutes. He decided to savour his time away from Matt by playing video games and telling Ludwig the terrible news through a phone call.<p>

"I don't wanna go!" Gilbert complained, propping his feet up on the kitchen table.

"_Look,_" his younger brother sighed, "_you agreed to this and this is just part of the experience. Now suck it up and wait for him_." He heard a click on the other line.

"Thanks bro..." Gilbert muttered to himself.

He quickly grew tired of video games and decided to play his piano instead. He wasn't amazing, but he was still pretty good to win first or second place at a couple random festivals. He had trouble finding the sheet music, but eventually he picked one up and began to play, loving the feel of the keys under his hands. He stopped, not liking the song.

His friend Roderich taught him the piano when they were in college in America, (he moved back to Austria after his third year, deciding to become a pianist who played for charities instead of a History major, which was their plan at the time). The words "keys" for piano keys was so accurate—the keys opened his mind and unleashed his creativity.

They unlocked and freed his heart. They were the keys to his soul.

_Damn that was poetic!_ Gilbert grinned to himself as he leafed through some more sheet music.

As he was picking out the particular piece he wanted when he heard a cheep and saw Gilbird land on the piano in front of him. He'd totally ignored Gilbird! It's a good thing the bird was allowed to fly freely through the house during daytime, or else he would have forgotten about him!

"I'm going to miss you little man!" Gilbert picked up the fluffy ball of pure cuteness and nuzzled him with his face, and added, "I hope Ludwig takes good care of you! I'll come see you in a few days, don't worry my little baby!"

Gilbert put Gilbird on his hair as he went and grabbed the bird cage and placed it beside of the piano. It was old-fashioned, a cage hanging from some type of rod. It even had a little swing in the brass cage! Gilbert loved it so much, and Gilbird didn't seem to mind. Gilbert put some bird feed into the little tray and placed Gilbird inside the cage tenderly, and once he'd closed it, he closed the double doors to the mini studio. It was quaint and had a lot of natural light flowing in. The room itself was bare, but painted a vivid green, because green apparently was a creative colour.

A flute and guitar stood lonely in the opposite corner of the room. Gilbert was quite an artist, and he'd considered being a musician after he'd given up on trying to be a paramedic. Somewhere along the arts, he ended up trying to do a history major with Roderich and then ended up in the police field... His young adulthood was a wild whirlwind of wacky decisions. He'd gone from paramedic, to hopeful musician to historian and finally to being a cop, which then led to investigator of serious crimes.

With that, Gilbert began to play, Gilbird listening quietly in the cage beside his master.

* * *

><p>Matt rang the doorbell angrily. <em>Ugh. He clearly needed more than one hour.<em>

"OPEN UP!" Matt pounded the door. No luck. So he opened the door—which was unlocked, strangely—and let himself in.

Matt called Gilbert's name before making his way deeper in the house. It felt strange to walk into somebody's house. He did it on a regular basis... But this was different... He wasn't invited in.

As he headed to what he presumed was the living room, Matt heard some music coming from behind a closed set of doors.

_I think I know that tune_... Matt got closer.

The music was the Romeo and Juliet theme. Who was playing it? _Surely not Gil_—

Matt opened the doors, only to see Gilbert whirl around, completely red in the face, getting away from the piano at rapid-fire speed, as though the piano was a bomb about to blow up. He nearly knocked over a bird cage on the way away from the piano bench.

"S-sorry for keeping you waiting! I should have kept an eye on the clock I didn't mean to start playing sorry—" he babbled quickly and awkwardly.

"It's okay," Matt cut him off, silencing him with a motion of his hand, "you play well. I was surprised. If you want, I have an upright piano at my place too," Matt clamped his mouth shut. What is he thinking?

"Uh okay..." Gilbert muttered awkwardly, looking at the floor.

"Let's go," Matt turned around briskly, Gilbert right behind him.

Gilbert's suitcase was in the piano room, so he dragged it with him and to Matt's car.

"Okay, I have rules," Matt said as they drove, "I cook. You're not allowed to touch the kitchen appliances because something will probably catch on fire, knowing you," Matt stated sternly. There was no slack; that was clear. He continued.

"Do your homework and keep your area neat and tidy. Do your own laundry. You're not allowed in the house alone."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Gilbert mock-saluted from the back seat. Matt didn't trust Gilbert in the passenger seat.

Matt frowned and they drove in silence.

* * *

><p>Once they arrived at Matt's house, or rather, apartment, he noted that there was nothing special. Usually one may expect something, like a <em>perfectly<em> cut lawn or that it was a run-down apartment, but no. Gilbert's detective senses told that it was okay and the apartment had no terrible histories attached to it. It was completely normal.

They took the elevator to the 6th floor in silence, and Matt pulled out a set of keys.

Shoving them in and twisting the lock, he was about to do the last turn when one of the mahogany doors behind Matt opened, and out popped a head.

The head belonged to Carla, a dark-skinned woman who lived 'next' door.

"Heeeey Mattie!" Carla winked, and Matt mumbled a "not interested!" And pulled Gilbert inside, slamming the door in the beautiful woman's face.

"Who was that?"

"Carla Machado, this Cuban girl who always wants to hang out and play strip poker with me..." Matt grumbled.

"She doesn't realize I'm—" Matt stopped suddenly, "_NOT_ interested in her!"

"I dunno she was pretty cute," Gilbert winked and Matt to "fuck off" and then proceeded to give Gilbert a tour of his apartment.

Just as they were about to begin, however, a beautiful white cat leapt out from somewhere inside the apartment and twisted herself around Matt's legs.

"This is Kuma… uh jirou. Kumajirou," Matt introduced Kumajirou to Gilbert, who leaned down and petted the soft cat. She immediately began to purr and nuzzled into Gilbert's hand.

"Okay, that's enough," Matt picked up his cat and got wet food for her, setting it in front of her, "good kitty," he smiled, before beginning the actual tour.

It was a simple layout, with a bedroom and a pullout couch in the living room next to a kitchen. There was one bathroom for them to share. It had all hardwood floors (save for tiled bathroom and kitchen) and had plain white walls, with no pictures, posters or paintings of any kind. There was a lonely upright piano shoved awkwardly against the wall beside the counter that divided the kitchen and the dining/living room. It had clearly not been played in a long time as there was a light layer of dust and was basically used to rest stuff on it, like paper and empty cups, bowls or plates.

"Ta-da!" Matt mockingly cheered, "that is my grandiose house."

"Neat-o."

"Anyways I'm currently not on duty, so we're going to the gym," Matt told Gilbert with a decisive air. Ew. Gilbert hated working out unless it was a sport. Lifting weights was literally so BORING.

"Do we have to?" Gilbert whined, and Matt smacked him swiftly upside the head.

"Yes."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>I hope you guys enjoyed it. Also, WELCOME TO YAOI LAND, AS THEY HAVE MOVED IN TOGETHER FOR THE TIME BEING. So many possibilities... *wink wink*<p>

Gilbert plays piano, flute and guitar! So cool! _What a coinkydink_, I play piano and flute as well! Or used to play flute. I'm not in band at school anymore, plus braces make it really hard to do that. Kudos to those brave flute players who can play with braces!

I almost forgot about Gilbird, haha, and added Kumajirou at the last second... oops. But yep! They've moved in. Also, we were introduced to the sexy Cuban Carla, Matt's neighbour. I think it is pretty obvious Carla Machado is Fem!Cuba. I know there's a couple Cuba x Canada shippers, so I gave a spark of hope, or at least it's one-sided. (Sorry CuCan shippers, no action in this fic! But hey, it's sort of there, it's completely one-sided...)

I'm rambling.

See you next Thursday!

~Awesome Maple


	7. Chapter 7

Hello my dears!

Nothing interesting to talk about, I got an 87% in English (but I swear i was going to get a 70% jegus I died of happiness you have no idea). Sorry. That was personal... Whatever. I doubt people even bother with Author's Notes. Kudos to those who actually do I really love you.

_**SHOUTOUT TO THE READERS IN PANAMA AND MALAYSIA! YOU ARE MY ONLY READERS IN THOSE COUNTRIES AND IT MAKES ME REALLY HAPPY TO SEE YOU STICKING WITH THIS STORY, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED!**_

Also a shout out to my USA, Canada, UK, Finland, Australia, Indonesia, China and Ukraine readers! Fanfiction dot net is cool because it actually tracks the countries that are reading this from! I know it sounds 100% creepy, but I tell you that I can't figure out who you are or where you are (and I really don't want to because that's creepy as hell. Just knowing the country is badass enough! So thanks).

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia. I wish I did. Then I could control what happened to Prussia in the new update. :(

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

A couple hours later, Gilbert was still complaining and no matter how much Matt told him to shut up, he wouldn't stop whining.

"Is there any workouts you DO like?" Matt suddenly exploded, exasperated with Gilbert's refusal to lift weights or run on the treadmill.

"I like free diving," Gilbert informed him, "I can push my limits. I love the water. Lifting weights might help, yeah, but it doesn't target what I like."

Gilbert went quiet. _Why did I tell him all of that?_

"Fine," Matt sighed. They'd been there for an hour or two, which was Matt's usual workout time. He stood up, putting down the weights he'd been lifting.

"Let's go to the pool."

"Whoop whoop!" Gilbert cheered loudly, grabbing the attention of the other people working out for a second, before continuing their activities. Matt smacked his head and he started to pack up his stuff.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later they were at the pool section of the recreation complex, and Gilbert had somehow managed or remembered to pack a swimsuit into his gym bag, as though he knew Matt would give in and let him swim. When they walked in, completely changed (well, Matt in his gym clothes and Gilbert in a swim trunks), Gilbert walked straight to the deep end, and then dived in.<p>

A couple people stared a bit at Matt and Gilbert, seeing as both sported a fair bit of well-defined muscles. They had to be strong if they were going to be paramedics. Gilbert never really needed to go to the gym—he just worked out when he was bored. And he was bored a lot. Gilbert was smart: he worked out when he needed or wanted to, and ate a very healthy diet. Although a foolish man, he was not a stupid one in terms of health. He had taken care of Ludwig during the early years of his life and wanted to engrain into Ludwig's head the importance of health. It worked and the years spent on forcing Ludwig to eat good food paid off as they both led the ideal active and well-balanced diet lifestyle.

"Aren't you coming in?" Gilbert asked Matt once he surfaced. Matt grew red and stared at his feet, which were standing in a cold chlorinated puddle on the tiles.

"I can't swim," Matt mumbled.

"Oh," Gilbert was surprised, but then handed him his waterproof wristwatch, "time me and how long I stay under. It's not too deep so I'll be swimming around the bottom."

Matt grabbed the standard stopwatch and once Gilbert gave him the signal, dived under after taking a deep breath. Matt sat down at the edge of the pool, sticking his feet in. It was cold, and Matt shivered, his leg hairs sticking up.

Matt looked anxiously at the digital waterproof clock and peered into the bottom of the pool. He could see Gilbert swimming around peacefully at around 15 m deep into the water. 20 seconds seemed infinitely long. He saw Gilbert wave at him, and he waved back.

Soon, those 20 seconds turned into a minute, then a minute and a half. Matt was starting to get worried. Gilbert was still swimming around, but he was getting anxious and imagining terrible scenarios, like if Gilbert drowned because he breathed by accident.

At the 1:52.06 mark, Gilbert swam up and let out his breath slowly. He swam up to the edge and rested his hands on his head, panting.

"How long?"

"One minute and fifty two point zero six seconds," Matt informed him, and Gilbert nodded.

"I'm going back down in a sec," he smiled, still panting.

For once they weren't arguing and Matt was worried and cared. Matt thought that free diving was totally lame, but now he was able to see the amount of strength it sapped out of Gilbert. Gilbert's hair stuck to his head completely flattened and wet. It seemed to shine almost silver in the lighting. Matt noticed that Gilbert shaved everywhere, whereas Matt sported a nice pair of hairy pits. He grew pink at the thought, and told himself that he should shave them the next chance he gets. He was not sure why, but it made him self conscious.

"I'm going down again!" Gilbert took a deep breath and once again submerged himself.

He did it a total of 6 times.

And Matt's anxiety for Gilbert's safety increased each time.

He wondered why he cared.

* * *

><p>"I'm so <em>tired<em>!" Gilbert flopped down on Matt's couch.

"Get off! You're getting it all wet! Take a shower!" Gilbert was roughly pulled off the couch and was promptly escorted to the shower.

They mutually agreed that all gym showers were completely gross and sucked it up as they changed into regular clothes in the locker room, Gilbert creating a mess in the car and needed a towel as he was completely wet the whole way home.

He finished in record time, and came out smelling like pine and maple syrup (he had no idea how Matt got that shampoo) and changed into a pair of sweat pants and a loose v-neck. He put on some fluffy socks and exited the bathroom, and was promptly dragged onto Matt's bed and locked in his room as all the rest of the rooms (the kitchen and living room) were open-concept and Matt didn't trust him alone near his precious kitchen, or by the piano, unsupervised.

Gilbert examined his host's room.

It was completely bare and bland. There were one or two encyclopaedias but no drawings or anything. No paintings on the wall, not even a colourful pen here or there.

_Does the guy have any entertainment? How does this dude _live_?_ Gilbert questioned himself.

Gilbert noted that there was one desk, made of oak, which stood lonely in the corner opposite his large single bed. There were stacks of paper and a couple black ballpoint pens. That was it. Literally.

He looked around his nightstand (that had a boring lamp with a plain white lamp shade) when he came across a small photograph sitting on the edge. There was a woman with long hair who wore glasses and was holding the hand of a very well-dressed man who had golden locks, much like Matt's, but longer. There was Matt (who was probably in his teens at the time of the picture) and a guy beside him that was... Scratched out in black pen? He frowned. They were family, his gut told him that, not to mention some traits that were clearly inherited (Matt had the woman's eye shape)... What happened to the young man beside Matt?

Matt burst in and saw Gilbert sitting on his bed and examining his family photo, startling Gilbert at his booming entrance.

"Who is this? Is he your brother?" Gilbert pointed to the place where... His twin was. He hadn't said the name aloud in years. It was too hard.

"He is—was—my twin," Matt muttered angrily and bitterly.

"What happened? Is he dead?"

"... Yes," Matt admitted, and then snatched the picture, "now get out of my room so I can change," he seethed.

"Whoa okay, okay!" Gilbert backed out with his hands raised. He had barely noticed that Matt was wearing a towel around his slim waist, his chest completely exposed. His curl stuck out somehow.

Matt slammed the door once he'd violently shoved Gilbert out.

He sank to the ground once Gilbert was out and buried his head in his arms. He didn't want to relive the memories of his brother. They were too painful.

Determined not to cry, Matt stood and dressed, ready to face the evening and the next weeks with Gilbert. _I might as well accept that I can't change the past and now I have to keep looking forward... And Gilbert isn't such a bad guy after all_... Matt scowled, _but he's still annoying as hell._

* * *

><p>Their wonderful dinner was made of mac-n-cheese (a very popular Canadian dish), which totally grossed out Gilbert.<p>

"You're a paramedic," Gilbert scowled as he painfully ate his over-the-top cheesy plate, "don't you know how bad this is for you?"

"_J'men fiche_!"

"What does that even mean?"

"I don't care," Matt supplied the answer, then added, "it's good and therefore I will eat it."

"Don't you have any fruit or something?"

While Gilbert lived on sausage and beer and pizza, he did manage to get his greens in. He knew how important health was and intended to live a long time. Gilbert stood and wandered to the fridge and peered in.

"Get out of there!"

He was forcefully yanked out of the kitchen by his collar, and he cried out in pain, swatting Matt's strong hands away.

"Come _on_ let me cook something decent!"

"This is a great meal!"

"It's shitty!"

"Oh so you can actually cook?"

"Yes, believe it or not," Gilbert whirled around, shaking loose of Matt's death grip, and they glared at each other, fists clenched and ready to fight.

They glared.

And _glared_.

After a while, Gilbert started to look and curiously examine Matt's features.

He had long honey hair tied back in a small ponytail, and had a fair bit of stubble. His face had small freckles, like stars scattered across the bridge of his nose, and brown-framed glasses that were sitting slightly crookedly on his face. His cheeks were bright red and his constantly frowning face was starting to develop permanent frown lines. His eyes looked like hidden night lightning about to strike. They were a deep blue with what seemed to be hints of violet—but it was really just an interesting optical illusion. He had a slim yet strong jaw line and his lips, pulled back in a tight scowl, revealed teeth that had obviously been straightened with braces, much like Gilbert's, and whitened.

"Fine," Matt threw him an annoyed look, relaxing and leaning on his chair, "cook something..."

"Great—"

"... But you better not burn anything."

"Deal."

Matt watched Gilbert with a wary eye as the man looked through his cupboards. Finally, he found two onions and two cans of beans.  
>He carefully chopped the onions into small, diced pieces, and then proceeded to pour some olive oil into a pan. He browned the onions and then opened up the canned beans, pouring it in without draining the juices inside. Matt was about to protest, but Gilbert silenced him with a hand.<p>

A few minutes later, Gilbert and Matt were quietly enjoying a bowl of bean... Stew? Whatever, it was delicious, but Matt would never admit it aloud.

"So it's good, right?" Gilbert asked as Matt ate his beans.

"They're okay."

"Awesome!"

They finished eating and Matt started to clean the dishes, and Gilbert padded over to the living room, which was practically attached by the counter and the table they had eaten at. The bed was already out and the sheets made, which made Gilbert happy.  
>Matt watched Gilbert out of the corner of his eye. Gilbert was so serene, laying down on the bed and opening his suitcase, laying out his essentials for the night.<p>

He'd been so wrong about Gilbert and he knew it. Gilbert was actually a pretty tidy guy and cooked fairly well. He was great with people. Matt saw how the kids loved him. Matt knew that he was treating Gilbert horribly, but he couldn't help it!

He was still extremely annoying, complaining to no end. He constantly wanted to do something that was 'awesome and fun' which did not include working out, shopping or doing his paperwork. He had a complete personality switch while at work, not even cracking a single joke.

That just irritated Matt and his subconscious was suggesting and trying to convince Matt to commit a murder. He was also pretty lazy in general. No matter how hard Matt tried, he could not break Gilbert's bad habits. He also flirted with every woman he met. That drove Matt nuts. He had to be on his toes and constantly checking up on him, because the next thing he knew, Gilbert would be rounding a corner with some nurse or running around in the children's end of the hospital.

He was sure a handful.

_Is this even worth it?_

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Okay what a cute chapter! No, not really. Just a lot of yaoi. Haha I'm so unenthusiastic today I apologize. I had a bad day. But not as much dialogue as I'd like but I'm trying to be a little more descriptive, I guess. Also, I decided to insert the whole "free diving" thing because a) I can see Prussia doing that and b) I actually love free diving.<p>

So who is the boy in the picture? (Okay we know who it is but for Gilbert's sake I won't "spoil" it). Is he really dead? (Maybe who knows). In case you didn't notice, there is Francis (France) as the dad and Alice (Fem!England) as the mom in the picture. FACE family! FrUK is in my top OTPs, I'd say second after PruCan. I love the FACE family to no end and I didn't even know it was a thing! I shipped it almost immediately, and I was so happy to realize it was popular!

OH YEAH. THE F*CKING UPDATE. It made me so sad, to say it simply. More than sad. I'm a lot like Prussia so it just reminds me that every year I pass the anniversary of my future death.

I'll shut up now.

_OH FOR THE RECIPE: it's delicious._

1. chop up some nice chubby onions into little dices

2. brown them

3. dump in all the contents of the kidney beans (don't drain them! this is vital!)

4. mix n mix it until it's nice and thick, but not a paste ew they should still be individual beans not all one big nasty mess

5. taste test; the beans should be nice and cooked. usually takes 15-20 minutes of constant stirring idk just wing it

6. eat it it's very yummy.

~Awesome Maple

Translations

Well, Matt translated for us, plus there's a couple ones you guys probably have grasped already and don't need me to add. I'll get Gilbert to ask for us in the future.


	8. Chapter 8

Nothing to say, really, apart from the fact that from now on, there may be some chapters that are NSFW/smut (co-written with my best friend because I can't write sexy things for the life of me) and that there's a little bit of NSFW material in here, or a small hint, but not warning-worthy.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

After an awkward goodnight, they both fell asleep like rocks. Or logs. Whatever. They slept deeply and had no trouble getting up the next morning, Matt to the terrible sound of his alarm clock and Gilbert to the horrible yelling and slapping Gilbert received from Matt.

"Get up, asshole!" Matt yelled as he slapped Gilbert's face.

"I'm up! I'm up!" Gilbert hastily got out of bed, ready to start his day. As an inspector who got random calls off-shift, he had to be ready for basically anything. He was a very light sleeper.

He dressed within 10 minutes and did all his toiletries within that time frame as well. He ate Matt's offer of a meager breakfast of toast accompanied by some jam (Gilbert refused to drink coffee, so he had some orange juice instead) and was completely ready by 7:00 am exactly.

Twenty minutes later, Matt was angrily honking his horn to get to the hospital on time. Traffic was stupid.

"You made me late!" Matt blamed Gilbert as he unleashed another string of French profanities at the other drivers.

"Woah Matt! Slow down!"

"Do I look like I-"

"You're a paramedic and I'm a cop. You know what happens to speeders and I can fine you if you don't slow down."

"Fuck you," Matt groaned as he slowed down and ceased his ridiculous honking. Who knew Matt had such extreme road rage?

* * *

><p>They arrived at the hospital 4 minutes late (according to Matt's time), much to Matt's distress.<p>

"Calm down, jeez!" Gilbert picked up his pace as he tried to maintain the same speed as Matt as they walked down the hall to Matt's office.

"We're a whole forty-five minutes early from the start of the shift! Calm your balls!"

"_Tait-toi_," Matt spat, "I have papers to do. You can help me-no-you WILL help me finish them," Matt concluded.

Gilbert groaned in frustration. _This guy never took a break did he?_

They arrived in Matt's small, plain office and started to work on the small stack of papers on Matt's desk. It was mostly just approving stuff and describing situations which both required Matt's signature at the end. Gilbert was practically useless seeing as he kept asking questions and bogged Matt down. He eventually gave up and Matt snatched the papers and finished them by 8:00 AM.

By 8:15 they were down in their ambulance, waiting for a call as usual.

* * *

><p>And this rhythm continued day after day, and Gilbert quickly got used to Matt's violent behaviour. In turn, Matt got used to Gilbert's antics.<p>

For example, they were at the gym once and Gilbert and Matthew were boxing. Gilbert, bring the jokester he is, started to try and touch Matt's curl. He kept teasing him about it until Matt caught the albino off-guard and proceeded to pummel the shit out of Gilbert, coming very close to cracking a few ribs. Gilbert then learned to be very careful when Matt got angry, and tried to stop annoying him... But it was so fun to squeeze those French insults out of Matt.

Another example is when Matt had to take Gilbert with him on a shopping escapade to the grocery store once they had run out of food. Gilbert immediately demanded to be pushed in the carts that held the food, but was roughly beaten up with a baguette Matt found in the bread isle and they nearly got kicked out of the store.

They were a dysfunctional pair, but then again, they somehow worked together. They both seemed to have an identical personality on the job, but were completely separate people who truly hated each other, it seemed, when they were in public or alone. One jokester and one who is violent do not usually work together.

It was a strange pair.

* * *

><p>Gilbert followed Matt to the apartment after his last shift of the week, ready to enjoy his weekend—<em>oh shit<em>, he thought, _my first weekend with Matt_. He groaned as Matt pulled his keys out of his jacket pocket to open the door to his quaint apartment. He was so not ready for this weekend.

As Matthew was trying to jam the keys into the lock, the door behind him opened and the curvy Cuban girl, Carla, wrapped her dark arm seductively and discreetly around Gilbert's slim waist.

"Uhh," Gilbert spun as best as he could to see Carla staring at him with her big brown eyes sexily. Neither of the two men had noticed as she had practically slithered out of nowhere. Matt still didn't recognize her presence as she started to slowly bring her hand down

Gilbert's shirt towards his stomach, as Matt swore in French and cursed the door for not opening.

"Err..." Gilbert groaned awkwardly and tried to push Carla away. Matt still didn't seem to notice what was happening right behind him. Carla was tracing his abdominal muscles with a perfectly manicured finger, going lower and lower, her other hand sliding up his arm. She slid her hand into his back pocket, and Gilbert started getting hot and bothered. His hands got clammy and he started feeling a little excited in a way that he did not approve.

"Stop..." Gilbert said a little louder and gently pushed Carla away as best as he could, and Matt finally noticed.

"Jesus _fuck,_ Carla," Matt grabbed and pushed the woman violently off Gilbert, nearly throwing her to the ground, "get your hands off my guest."

"So prude and sensitive," Carla huffed, and stalked back into her apartment, shutting the door with a very loud, angry click.

"That fucking woman," Matt grumbled, walking in the apartment. Gilbert's heart beat erratically as he walked through the house and closed the door, locking it.

"Alright," Matt set down his stuff, "Lars invited me over for dinner at his place tomorrow evening, and you're tagging along. Do you have any plans this weekend?"

"Not really," Gilbert hadn't thought about it. He had been so focused on his job that he had barely noticed the weekend coming up.

"I didn't have anything planned either..." Matt trailed off. An awkward silence settled between them and they stared at each other awkwardly.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Gilbert suggested, breaking his gaze, gesturing to Matt's DVD player and widescreen TV.

"Sounds good. Is pizza okay?" Matt asked. This was so unlike Matt. _Maybe he's trying to be civil? _

"Awesome. I'll go get changed," Gilbert headed off to the bathroom, casual clothes in hand which he had retrieved from off his bed while they were talking.

Once he had locked the door, he sat down on he toilet seat with a sigh, ready to ponder as he took a shit. He did that. He thought about life when he took a dump.

What Carla had done... Gilbert's face heated up madly as he blushed. He hadn't done the nasty in a long time and now wanted it. Kind of badly. _When was the last time... A couple years ago? Wait_. _No… it was around three or four at this point. Damn_.

As he was getting undressed, he noticed a piece of white paper flutter to the ground, falling out of his back pocket.

"Huh?" Gilbert mumbled aloud. Picking it up, he saw that it was a phone number with a note underneath that read: "text me" in elegant writing.

Hmm... Carla had slipped her hand into his back pocket… This was probably what she'd given him. He shrugged and stuffed it into his sweater pocket, then combed his hair with his hands while was emerging from the bathroom completely changed.

"I ordered the pizza," Matt informed his pale guest, "want to pick a movie off the shelf over there while I take a shower?" Gilbert nodded and Matt headed off to the bathroom.

_What the hell?_ _What's wrong with Matt?_ _Why was he being so nice? The fuck?  
><em>

Gilbert sighed, confused as he stared at the closed door for a moment, and walked over to the cabinet that Matt had pointed at, which was under the TV.

"Hmm..." Gilbert looked at Matt's mediocre movie selection. He eventually picked Jaws, having borrowed the book from the library out of curiosity a few months ago. The book terrified Gilbert, but wanted to see the movie.

Once he had the movie out, he proceeded to turn his sofa-bed-pullout into a sofa, then dragging the coffee table back out of its corner and grabbing some plates and Coca-Cola.

Once everything was cleared and set up, he pulled the number from his pocket and whipped his cellphone out of his bag.

**Me: **carla?  
><strong>Unknown:<strong> hey sexy  
><strong>Me:<strong> what do you want?  
><strong>Unknown<strong>: exactly what you want.  
><strong>Me<strong>: okay... how do we do this?  
><strong>Unknown<strong>: can u find me tonight?  
><strong>Me<strong>: i'm eating with matt tonight. tomorrow night? 11?  
><strong>Unknown<strong>: i'm always availble. see u then, sexy ;)

With that, Gilbert wrote himself a note on his phone and shredded the paper and deleting the text messages. _That was easy to organize_… Gilbert was still a wee bit nervous and hoped he could pull it off.

Just as Gilbert threw his phone into his open suitcase, Matt walked in.

"What movie did you pick?"

"Jaws."

"Okay," Matt nodded. Silence.

_Okay what's wrong with you?_ Gilbert felt like asking, but refrained to. He didn't want to ruin this nice streak.

The doorbell rang at that moment, and Matt threw on a t-shirt. Gilbert heard the clink of money and the shutting of a door as Matt returned with their pizza.

Matt popped the DVD in after turning on the TV, and plopped down on the couch beside Gilbert.

When the movie began to play, Matt noticed that Gilbert was immediately and completely absorbed in the movie. The movie itself was pretty good—I mean, it _is_ Steven Spielberg—but he'd never seen somebody immediately get pulled into a movie so quickly, not even noticing that he had dropped half his pizza on his plate. Gilbert just shoved the food in his mouth and was completely transfixed on the screen.

About halfway through the movie, when the huge-ass shark was about to get a boy, just about to make the kill, the suspense was hanging in the air, the phone rang loudly and Gilbert screamed in terror, pizza flying both out of his mouth and off his plate and Matt paused the movie.

"Oh my fucking god Gilbert!" Matt laughed hysterically as he went to get the phone, "you're fucking hilarious!"

"It's not funny," Gilbert growled as he grabbed some napkins to fix the mess he'd made. There was pizza all over his sweatpants and he had to change them while Matt was on the phone.

"Yeah so what time?" Gilbert heard Matt on the phone, "Okay! Got it," Matt hung up.

"Who was that?"

"Lars," Matt and Gilbert sat back down on the couch, and Kumakuma settled on Matt's lap, "he decided that after dinner tomorrow evening we're all going to see a movie or go the carnival or festival-thingy downtown. We'll be out until ten-ish, probably eleven or maybe twelve."

_Shit, I'm supposed to see Carla at that time!_ Gilbert thought, _but she can wait._

"Sounds awesome!" Gilbert grinned, and Matt nodded before playing the movie, the pizza now abandoned, as Gilbert was too nervous to eat, not only because of what was happening in the movie, but also what would happen tomorrow night.

The boy in the movie was suddenly killed, and Gilbert squeaked and shuddered in fear, burying his face on Matt's shoulder, gripping him and knocking Kumaduma off Matt's legs.

"Get off!" Matt shoved the spooked Gilbert off of him and Gilbert grew beet red as Matt paused the movie again.

"S-sorry," Gilbert muttered, "I don't watch such good quality movies like this."

"It's cool, just don't knock Kumadunga off me next time. Want to come here?"

Gilbert nodded and snuggled into Matt's side awkwardly.

"I usually watch shitty horror movies by Schnaas, or awesome comedy movies," he admitted after a moment of silence, "I don't really watch legit great scary movies by amazing directors like Spielberg."

"I guess we'll have to watch a Schnaas or comedy movie sometime," Matt laughed, and Gilbert nodded. _This is so awkward, this is so awkward_, Gilbert chanted in his head. He was snuggling beside Matt who was acting extremely weird… he wasn't calling him an ass or anything, or punching him. He was just… being _nice_.

_He's probably planning my murder._

"Let's start," Gilbert said with newfound confidence as he dismissed what seemed to him to be a very likely thought, and Matt played the movie.

By the end of the movie, Matt couldn't feel his arm because Gilbert was squeezing him so hard. _Criss calice_!

"Thanks Matt," Gilbert thanked him as he released him from his death grip. Gilbert really didn't do well with suspense movies. He was okay with trashy gore with shit quality, that's what he liked. But this… It was so _good._ The suspense was so good it really freaked Gilbert out. He hoped he would be able to freedive! He was worried he'd dream about the terrible shark coming to get him so deep underwater. He shivered.

"Okay," Matt said, taking the DVD out and picking up the plates, "go to bed now."

And with that, they then set everything back up, as it had been before, and they both fell soundly asleep in their respective beds.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Woohoo! Another chapter done! And we got some yaoi action! Not really. But they're getting a little more touchy-feely, which does all the people with feels some good. A small dose of cuddling between your OTP (or a variation of your OTP) is very healthy in my opinion! I'm a PruCan shipper, but 2p!Canada x Prussia is starting to win (maybe) over 1p!Canada. Matt is so much fun to write! I always feel like I'd fail epically in normal PruCan, so I decided I might as well be a pioneer in 2p!Canada x 1p!Prussia! Am I doing okay?<p>

It is canon that Prussia plays flute (as mentioned in a previous chapter) and likes movie director Schnaas. I'm in the middle of watching a Schnaas movie, called _Violent Shit_, a movie made in 1989 with a budget of... $ 2,000! It's really f*cking violent, and if you're interested in gore and terrible quality, YouTuber _Joey Horrorfan_ uploaded the whole movie. It's pretty good so far, and I'm somebody who doesn't like gore (at all).

Fact: I originally started this story as a "yolo I'm just going to wing it";

Fact: I have planned the whole thing out (whoa);

Fact: This is my longest chapter by about 40 words; and finally,

Fact: My Tumblr is awesome-maple, if you're interested in following me

I'm really excited because I have most of the chapters planned out (around 10+ more chapters than there are now) and I can't wait to introduce you to Lars, Sakura, the FEC family (where did the A go?), Lukas and Yekaterina! These characters are literally _so much fun_ to write. I'll shut up and stop ranting now. Comment/review if you've actually read all/most of my Author's Notes because I'm curious.

Translations

_Tait-toi_ - shut up

_Criss calice_ - Jesus fuck (the actual translation is christ chalice but I think Jesus fuck is more likely to be the proper translation).

~Awesome Maple


	9. Chapter 9

_**I MAY OR MAY NOT UPLOAD SUNDAY, BECAUSE I HAVE AN EXTREMELY HEAVY HOMEWORK LOAD, BUT I WILL TRY MY VERY BEST. **_

_**IF I DO NOT UPLOAD SUNDAY, I WILL DO A DOUBLE UPLOAD ON THURSDAY.**_

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Gilbert awoke by himself that morning, stretching like a cat on the pullout sofa. Speaking about cats, Kumaamuk, was curled up beside him. As he petted the soft, violently purring ball of puffiness, it suddenly occurred to Gilbert that he didn't know what Matt did in his free time apart from working out, shopping, cooking, watching movies, and doing boring paperwork. _Maybe today I'll find out!_

_Speaking of Matt_… Gilbert stood up, Kumjira in his arms, and knocked softly on the white door of his host. He heard a grunt and some footsteps behind the door, before it was thrown open to reveal Matt in his pajamas.

"You're not a morning person, are you," Gilbert tried to joke, but the smile died on his lips as he took in his companion's appearance.

Matt's hair was a wild mess of what appeared to be a gold bird's nest and his curl was sticking to his head with sweat. His eyes were completely bloodshot and his cheeks red with embarrassment as he tried to cover his chest, and Gilbert could see that it had dark spots of sweat under his armpits and over his chest. There were heavy bags under Matt's eyes and he leaned against the door, scowling and demanded what Gilbert wanted. Gilbert was shocked by how terrible and raspy Matt's voice was, as though he'd… cried?

"You okay Matt?"

"Fuck off, what do you want?"

"Whoa, okay! I just wanted to tell you that it's already 9:00 and that we should eat breakfast," Gilbert set the white cat, which had been cradled in his arms, down on the ground as he observed his host.

"Okay. Give me a couple minutes," Matt grumbled and slammed the door with more force than necessary, making Gilbert stumble a couple steps back from the surprise.

Gilbert was disturbed to say the least. Never had he seen Matt in such a dishevelled and vulnerable state, because Matt had clearly stayed up the whole night crying or something. He wondered what had upset Matt so badly, but he knew it wasn't his place to ask.

Gilbert went ahead and weighed his options. Either he could cook and piss Matt off, or he could wait and possibly get a terrible breakfast, but this depended on Matt's state once he returned from his room.

_I'll just have to wait and see_, Gilbert thought, and he dialled Romano's number because he wanted to hear his friend's voice and malicious tongue which he knew would instantly brighten his day. And he was right. As soon as the Italian started swearing and claiming that the Spaniard was actually a girl and that he'd been mislead because of a mistake or something, Gilbert was laughing and smiling within minutes as he made up his mind and began to cook.

* * *

><p>Matt had stayed the entire night on the phone with Lars. Matt was so thankful that he had Lars, because he knew that he could always count on him to stay up the whole night talking about all the troubles in his life.<p>

Two days ago, when Matt had talked to Lars just before he'd gone and picked up Gilbert, Lars had convinced Matt to be more civil and to at least _try_ to tolerate his guest. He pointed out all of Gilbert's flaws, but then pointed out all the good in Gilbert, which then convinced Matt that he could tolerate Gilbert, which would be the ideal minimum, and maybe even develop a decent friendship at most. But that was probably not going to happen. He was his teacher and Gilbert was his student. Matt was the host and Gilbert was the guest. Nothing more.

And then last night he'd had a particularly vivid image of the terror that haunted his dreams and woke up sobbing. He'd shakily dialled Lars' number and spoke to him about Yekaterina and how much he hated her, and Lars listened the whole time as Matt slowly exhausted himself just as he was getting to the part where he'd made the best decision—to "divorce that ugly bitch."

But Matt supported Lars too. When Matt was done ranting, he decided that he wanted to hear Lars' troubles, because Matt's were in the past and ranting was the only way to get it out of his system. He used to do weed and alcohol when he roomed with Lars for a while when he'd just moved into the town, but was past that and had to stop relying on substances to improve his mood. Lars, on the other hand, developed insomnia in his teen years and used marijuana as part of the treatment and he always took it via the smoking method (which explains the scent of weed on his clothes) so he always had some that he was willing to share.

Last night Lars had let go of a heavy load on his shoulders—in which his fiancé, Sakura Honda, a short Japanese girl, might have move away for her job. It was difficult and they were unsure because they had recently gotten engaged and were hoping to get married soon. She was an aspiring animator for Ghibli Studios, DreamWorks or Pixar, and was currently studying in the college in the town. Her talent had been recognized and she was invited back to her Japanese homeland to study there, but she wanted to stay with Lars in the USA.

They were waiting to tie the knot, first of all. Both Lars and Sakura's parents had immigrated to the state that they were currently living in and were getting old so they didn't want to leave. It was a choice between basically getting a great job and moving to a foreign country or staying and continuing to pay expensive college fees (and apartment fees) while waiting for a position to open up in the nearby studio to begin an apprenticeship.

Matt told Lars to stay here—he already had a stable job and was doing a good deed by supporting himself and his girlfriend, who had recently moved in. Sakura got a part-time job as a waitress at their favourite restaurant and she got great tips because she was so kind and amiable, but this tired her as she also had school. As long as they were financially stable, Matt urged Lars to stay and take up Lars' parent's offer for them to stay at their place and occupy the basement. Lars reluctantly agreed to talk to Sakura about moving into his parents' place, because while they would have less fees to worry about, there was a lack of privacy and Lars' younger sister was often home and she loved to get into other people's business.

After a long rant on both ends, Lars and Matt fell asleep soundly—or at least Lars did, as Matt awoke with the terrible dream. _Again_. Twice in a night was rare… but it happened every once in a while.

Matthew was pulled out of his thoughts when he smelled food being cooked. He had gone in the bathroom during this time, and he now hurried up and washed his face more quickly and burst into the kitchen.

"I figured you had a rough night, so I made eggs and bacon!" Gilbert smiled and handed Matt a plate once Matt walked in angrily, ready to mouth him off. Matt was speechless.

"What did I tell you about not being in the kitchen?" Matt grumbled, but he took the food (well, more like _grabbed_) and sat at the counter anyways. Silence passed between them as they ate Gilbert's delicious breakfast.

"So what do you do in your free time?" Gilbert asked, "I mean, apart from working out and watching movies and stuff."

"Well I usually hang out with my friends or volunteer at an animal shelter nearby," Matt decided that he might as well tell his guest of his interests. _I mean, why not? _His plan was to go to the shelter today anyways. Gilbert nodded, and they finished their breakfast.

After they brushed their teeth and got all ready to go, Matt brought out a piece of paper and Gilbert noted that it was titled "Daily List To-Do" with a bunch of checkmarks and blank lines. They were sitting on two stools beside the counter and getting ready to plan their day.

"We don't need to go shopping because we already did that," Matt said, "and today I don't have work. We have a lot of free time. Today we are going to see Lars at a restaurant and possibly go to the carnival after that. Before that, I'd like to go to the gym and volunteer at the shelter." Matt wrote down their checklist for the day.

_1. Gym_  
><em>2. Lunch<em>  
><em>3. Animal shelter<em>  
><em>4. Lars and carnival<em>

"Sounds good…" Gilbert trailed off, lost in thought. _How am I going to fit in my rendezvous with Carla? Should I text her? But I deleted the texts…_

"Let's go!" Gilbert was startled from the loud sound of Matt's voice. Matt hopped off the stool and headed to his room to get his gym stuff. Gilbert was already ready to go—but he didn't pack a swimsuit. (Gilbert still shivered at the thought of Jaws from last night.)

* * *

><p>An hour or two later, Matt and Gilbert were exhausted as they completed their fourth set of weight lifting and cardio. They had joined a group session and were currently surrounded by about ten or so people, and were all staring incredulously at the trainer before them as he asked them if they wanted to do another round.<p>

Gilbert lay on the mat-covered floor panting and begging Matt not to make him do anymore, but Matt didn't need much convincing.

"Let's go to lunch," Matt pulled Gilbert up and they hobbled over to the nasty, sweaty locker rooms. They rapidly changed and headed out of the doors and into the bright parking lot.

"How was that?" Matt asked Gilbert once they were buckled in and driving.

"That was terrible. The instructor was so annoying!" Gilbert whined childishly, "but I guess the weight lifting helped a bit considering lifting patients is a pretty big deal."

"What do you want for lunch?"

"Something healthy. I don't think I could stomach any fast-food right now," Gilbert closed his eyes. He wasn't used to long intense workouts, but rather short bursts of energy. He did have endurance, but only for light activities, like jogging. Not the mad workout they just did that involved cardio, flexibility and weight training! The workout helped, Gilbert guessed, because Gilbert discovered the fact that he could bend in more ways than he thought possible. Gilbert smirked at the innuendo.

"Let's go home and shower," Matt suggested, and Gilbert nodded, buckling himself into the seat. Matt's companion dozed off in the passenger's seat almost as soon as they had driven out of the parking lot and were out on the highway. He'd actually decided to trust Gilbert in the front seat, and apart from fighting over the radio; Gilbert was very well behaved.

Matt snuck some glanced to his guest. Gilbert had a slim yet strong jaw that demonstrated both the fact that he was still young (around his mid- to late twenties) but that he had very strong roots with a culture that treasured hard work, because not only was he German, but he was specifically Prussian-blooded, as he claimed to be. Gilbert's eyebrows were straight and dark, which was a stark contrast to his silvery messy hair. His eyes were a dark red, framed with black lashes and Matt couldn't help but be amazed. His own eyes weren't actually hinted with purple or violet, but were a plain blue with an interesting optical illusion, and nothing more. Gilbert's on the other hand, were genuinely red.

He also had to note that while Gilbert looked weak, he was very strong. He had certainly bulked up a bit since he had started working with Matt, developing muscles that were becoming more and more defined as the days went on. His skin was equally pale and smooth, and Matt could tell that Gilbert definitely kept up with his personal hygiene. He was neat and tidy, just like Matt had hoped for.

Gilbert wasn't that bad. Sure, he was annoying as fuck, but he also listened very well and sometimes Matt just wanted to tell him what had happened in his life, much like he told Lars… but he didn't trust Gilbert with that kind of information just yet. Yes, he _trusted_ him, but he didn't think he was ready to share.

Matt was broken out of his thoughts when his phone went off, and he answered it, the Bluetooth device communication to his phone what the other person was saying on the line and broadcasted it in the car so that Matt didn't have to hold the phone to his ear as he drove.

"Matt Williams," Matt said as the calls connected. Gilbert was still asleep.

"_Bonjour Mathieu!_" Matt heard a French voice greet him, and his blood ran cold.

"Dad?"

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Voila chapter woohoo nobody reads this anyways, so blah blah blah fun fun.<p>

Anyways, as mentioned in the AN, I will try my best to upload, but no guarantees. I have a sh*t ton of physics homework, math and Spanish. I hope it will happen because I've finished the layout. Ch 11+ is when the action/suspense/interesting stuff actually happens. Yay!

Fem!Japan has been mentioned! And "dad", a French man (hint: popular fanon family) called. Lars isn't a pothead (he IS a paramedic, after all!) but I did some research and marijuana via smoking is indeed treatment for insomnia. Correct me if I f*cked up.

~Awesome Maple


	10. Chapter 10

I'm so sorry for the huge wait! I got through my tests (finally!) and was able to speed-write the next two chapters!

Woah. Double digits already! I'm surprised I actually managed to get this far!

THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO Cynthia-Chan1449, who actually reads my author notes and followed me back on Tumblr! (Don't worry, you're not being a stalker *wink*).

So this is for you, Cynthia-Chan1449!

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

Gilbert pretended to sleep as he listened to Matt exchange a conversation with 'dad'. Gilbert could hear the panic in Matt's voice, and considered to crack an eye open to see his face, but decided against it.

"_Mais oui! It is I—_" the French person was cut off, and a British woman started talking instead.

"_Hello baby darling! Your father and I wanted to say hi and we were wondering how you were doing!_"

"Uh," Matt sounded conflicted for a moment, "could I call you back later mom? I'm driving…"

"_Oh sure sweetie! We—_" the woman was cut off and a French voice replaced her, "S_orry about that, mon fils, I just wanted to tell you that we are having a family dinner coming up and we'd like you to come up to Canada to celebrate it with us! It's your b—_"

"Sorry dad, I can't, I'm hosting somebody for the next year. Now I'll call later, okay?"

"_Wait—_"

"BYE," Gilbert heard Matthew yell at the end. Why is he so agitated? I mean yeah, he's driving, but still… They're his parents, from the sounds of it!

"Gilbert I know you're awake," Matt sighed after a moment of silence passed between them, "you snore like an elephant when you're sleeping."

"Fine, you got me," Gilbert sat up, opening his eyes, "what was that all about?"

"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to," Matt replied, but Gilbert pressed on.

"But I _do_ want to know the answer. What did they want? You can tell me Matt. Besides, we're hanging out together, right? We might as well—"

"No," Matt said firmly, gripping the steering wheel and making a left turn to his apartment building's parking lot, "I can't tell you. It's too complicated."

"Fine," Gilbert sighed, sinking in his seat and pouting like a child.

"Please try to understand Gilbert," Matt said quietly as he hunted for a good parking space, "that I left Canada for a very good reason."

He parked the car and looked at his temporary colleague, "I will never go back."

With that, Matt got out of the car and didn't bother getting Gilbert to come out as Gilbert sat for a few moments before catching up, running to the building alongside Matt, his mind racing at the possibilities.

* * *

><p>An hour or so later, they had freshened up, eaten lunch, and were currently at the animal shelter.<p>

They entered the bland and terrifying-looking shelter through a double door that made a bell jingle, alerting the woman at the desk of their presence. She looked up and smiled, waving amiably at Matt as he made his way across the ugly red-carpeted floor to the receptionists' desk, and greeted the woman.

"How are you Matt?"

"I'm pretty good," Matt said cheerfully, which was uncharacteristic. Gilbert was so confused. Maybe Matt was only mad at him. He seemed pretty civil to other human beings.

"And who is this?" The woman inquired, her tan hand moving to Gilbert's general direction.

"Remember how I told you I was hosting a police officer to take part with my work at the hospital?" The woman's eyes brightened as she immediately grasped the situation as she nodded in a say-no-more kind of way.

"I'm Lucille," she extended her hand to shake Gilbert's slim pale one, "Lucille Bonnefoy. I'm Matt's second cousin," she smiled broadly whereas Matt held a tight one. She was an average woman with brown hair and eyes, yet was considered to still be very young and elegant, though she walked with a light limp. She wanted to be a professional ballet dancer, Matt informed Gilbert later on, but broke her tibia, ending her career in the span of 7 minutes. In seven minutes she was assessed and booted out of ballet immediately after being released from the hospital. She decided to be the receptionist at the animal shelter, and she stated that this was the best choice for her... But one could still clearly see her love for ballet still hung as a sparkle in her eyes as she spoke of how she danced recreationally. She contemplated going back to school (she was an honours student after all!) but chose that the shelter was more to her liking.

"Anyways he will be volunteering for a while with me. So off we go!" Matt dragged Gilbert to the employee room and handed him a t-shirt before taking him to the various sections, starting with the dogs.

"They're so cute!" Gilbert gushed as he fed them with Matt's help. He noticed that Matt really liked them too, speaking kind words to them. Who knew Matt was an animal lover?

A few minutes after the men where changing the bedding of the dogs, two men and a kid approached them. As Gilbert inspected the small group, he recognized—

"Peter?" He asked in disbelief.

"Gillyflowers!" The child he had saved ran up to Gilbert and gave him a hug.

"I presume you are Tino and Berwald," Gilbert smiled as the gay couple approached.

"Ja," the taller, more intimidating man said, "And I am Berwald, this," he gestured to the Finnish man, "is my wife." He had a strong Swedish accent.

"Oh you," Berwald's 'wife' laughed, "I am Tino," the shorter Finnish man shook Gilbert's hand, "you are Beildschmidt, the officer that helped Peter?"

"The one and only!" Gilbert smirked as he ruffled Peter's short blond hair before Peter walked to stand by Tino's side.

"What brings you here today?"

"We're looking to adopt a dog," Berwald stated deeply, and Gilbert looked hopefully at Matt.

"Sure thing," Matt waved the trio over and they went off down the maze of cages that were set up against the walls to find a dog they liked. Gilbert stayed back and kept changing the bedding as he petted the frisky German shepherds. Ludwig had always wanted one, or a Dachshund, but they didn't know where it would go. While they had a nice, quaint house for two, maybe three, their house would have felt very cramped if they were to have a pet apart from Gilbird. Their salaries were decent, but they still had to pay off the mortgage and car costs. They also had very busy lives, especially Gilbert leading an irregular schedule and Ludwig working heavy hours at McDonalds and going back to university to become an engineer after he decided journalism wasn't his thing, so the two basically depended on Gilbert to make a decent salary.

Many pinned Gilbert for the one who would be the lazy one who would be living off his (little) brother, but instead, it was Ludwig living off of Gilbert even though the two agreed that it was "Ludwig's house".

_Maybe I should invite Matt to my place to eat with Ludwig one night before he comes to my place_... Gilbert was deeply absorbed in his thoughts and didn't even notice the cute brown haired girl standing behind him.

"Excuse me sir..." The girl finally spoke up, and Gilbert stood up so fast he banged his head on the cage's bar, startling the old poodle inside it.

"Ow..." Gilbert rubbed the back of his head as he turned to the worried girl. He cleared his throat, "what do you need?"

"I'm looking for a kitten or a cat..." She trailed off.

"Sure thing!" Gilbert was, deep down, very worried because he had no idea where the cats were and he did not know how to handle this situation.

He put on a brave face though, and pretended to know what he was doing and led her around the maze of the place, waking randomly and making small talk, until he found the cat section.

"Want to take a look together?" Gilbert offered and the two observed all the adorable cats and the occasional kittens. The girl seemed very attracted to this one small grey elderly cat that was clearly malnourished, but Gilbert could tell that that car was the one. She kept gravitating to it.

"I would like this one," she finally pointed to the cat and Gilbert picked her up out of the cage on the wall, and handed the scrawny thing over to her. Now he _really_ had no idea what to do.

"So I guess we'll go and check her out?" Gilbert asked nervously, but at that moment, Matt rounded the corner and saved the day.

"What do you think you're doing, you idiot?" Matt exploded, startling both the girl and Gilbert. They looked at each other nervously as Matt took over the situation and shooed Gilbert away.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Gilbert and Matt were back at Matt's place getting changed for their night out.<p>

"Does this look okay?" Gilbert asked, emerging from the tiny bathroom groomed and changed for a reasonable night out. Somehow, Gilbert had seemed to know just what to bring for his stay with Matt. Gilbert had relied on his gut, and this logic still baffled Matt.

Gilbert had combed his hair and gelled it a bit so that it looked casual, but neatly done, and was wearing a red button up shirt and a pair of black jeans paired with his favourite plain black converse. A simple stainless-steel watch adorned his right wrist and an iron cross was hidden on the inside of his shirt. Matt had always told Gilbert to keep it (the iron cross) unseen because of the stigma attached to it, but Gilbert had never had any problems in the past so he ignored Matt's requests.

"Looks great," Matt said gruffly, tugging at his own white shirt. For once he'd shaved and actually done his eyebrows (call it feminine, but Matt liked to not have a unibrow and preferred to have tamed eyebrows as opposed to huge caterpillars on his face) and his hair was in a neat ponytail.

"Let's go," he added after a moment of silence, grabbing his red and white jacket (it was September, but where they lived it was beginning to get a little chilly at night) and Gilbert slipping on his own leather jacket.

They walked quickly across the mostly-empty parking lot (it was around 6:00 at night, it was a Sunday, and there was a carnival so not many people were out) and to Matt's ugly Toyota Corolla where they buckled in and headed to the restaurant.

Lars was standing outside of The International, a well-known restaurant for their little town. For whatever reason, this particular town was extremely popular for international folk, and nobody knew why. There were so many immigrants from so many countries that this town had hardly any Americans (or at least anybody born from the USA)—it was full of Europeans, Africans, Asians, South Americans, one or two Australians and one Canadian (Matt).

Lars himself was from the Netherlands, and he enjoyed The International because while there was a rich Dutch community in this town, and he loved speaking with tourists that were visiting from Amsterdam in particular, because that was where he was born and raised for the most part.

Suddenly, Lars saw his best friend's shitty car lurch into the crowded parking lot, and he smiled as he waved them over once they'd parked near the entrance.

"Hey Matt," Lars fist-bumped the man that was practically his brother, and then turned to the shockingly pale guest who stood beside Matt.

"We've met before, haven't we?" Lars shook Gilbert's frosty hand. Gilbert had poor circulation in his hands and he'd forgotten his gloves, much to his regret. Lars let go of Gilbert's freezing hand as soon as possible.

"Yep," Gilbert smiled, "on the first day that I began my paramedic training!"

"And how's that going for you?" Lars asked as he ushered them into the bustling restaurant, going to their reserved table near the windows.

"Pretty good," Gilbert nodded, taking the window seat and Matt sliding in beside him in the booth. The restaurant smelled of the world, and Gilbert couldn't even begin to try to guess which smell was which. The people around him spoke a myriad of languages—the booth behind him was an Indian family and the table beside them were from Zimbabwe, for example. He heard two waitresses speaking in rapid Romanian and another two speaking Latvian.

"Earth to Gilbert!" Matt snapped his fingers angrily in front of Gilbert's face, as Gilbert was lost in a daze.

"It's okay," Lars chuckled, "this restaurant is pretty amazing, let him take it in."

"Sorry," Gilbert pushed Matt's hand away from him, "I've never actually been here. I live a hectic life and my brother has gone at university so we don't have much time to go out to restaurants," he told them, then added in his head, _or money, for that matter._

"Ah," Lars nodded and smiled; "well now you can say you've been here!"

"Hey sweetie," a short Japanese waitress arrived before them and scanned the room quickly before planting a small kiss on Lars' forehead, "how are you?"

"I'm good," Lars said, and then gestured to his two guests, "you already know Matt, but here is Gilbert, his partner who began training with him recently."

"Oh my," the Japanese waitress said, a little flustered, "I'll have you know that I do support gay people and—"

"We're not partners _that _way Sakura," Matt said, very red, "he's the guy I'm training to be a paramedic."

"Oh! I apologize," Sakura said, blushing madly, then smiled and added, "I'm Sakura, Lars' fiancée."

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Gilbert," Gilbert introduced himself, a little pink from the gay comment. Gilbert had never ever been called gay or been mistaken for being gay, even though he'd been teased for his albinism. Then again, he'd never really questioned his sexuality before…

"Anyways," Sakura addressed the three men, smiling, "here are your menus. I'll be back in a few minutes!"

"Sorry about that," Lars chuckled as he unwrapped his scarf from around his neck. Gilbert forgave him and noted he had a small scar on his forehead as Lars ran a hand through his spiked hair. They picked their meals quickly before beginning to chat, giving their orders to Sakura who took them.

"How did you meet Matt?" Gilbert asked as he sipped some Coca Cola brought by Sakura.

"Well," Lars chuckled and Matt grew red, "Matt moved into this town and attended the 2 year paramedic training course that I was teaching at the time. We got to know each other really well and one day while I decided to go to a local bar, I found Matt completely wasted, and being the amazing, caring person I am, I decided to bring him to his house, which was a run-down motel."

"Oh shut up, it wasn't that bad," Matt tried to kick him under the table but Lars dodged Matt's foot expertly, as if he knew it was coming.

"Your walls had pee stains and you were living out of your suitcase," Lars deadpanned, and continued, "so, as I was saying, I helped him get there, saw how nasty the place was, packed up his suitcase for him, checked him out of the motel and brought him to my place. When we—"

"Stop. Nope, we're not going there—"

"Yes I am. When we arrived home Matt decided to kiss me as a thank you, and let me tell you, he's a terrible drunk, but he's also really strong. Somehow I managed, while evading him, to hit my head on the floor as I tried to get him to the bathroom to freshen up and that explains the scar."

By the end of this, Matt was extremely red and glared at Lars while Gilbert chuckled.

"From that day forward, we've been best friends," Lars concluded and Sakura brought their meals. Lars had ordered a Dutch _hollandse nieuwe hering_, a typical and popular dish in the Netherlands, whereas Matt ordered some spicy Indian food. Gilbert essentially closed his eyes and put his finger down on a random point on the menu and had picked something from Turkey or something.

"Cheers to paramedics!" Lars raised his glass, which held Sprite, and his two guests clinked their glasses against each other. With that, they ate their food peacefully, exchanging funny stories late into the night as they waited for Sakura's shift to end so they could all go to the carnival.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>And we've met Lucille Bonnefoy... Also known as Monaco! I find that writers don't focus as much as I'd like on smaller countriesprincipalities/micronations so I decided that Lucille might as well be added in. That's a lot of characters, but somehow, it works. We may or may not see Monaco/Lucille in the future (I have yet to decide) but I wanted to just introduce her.

I decided to make Lucille Matt's second cousin because of the France-Monaco friendship. I decided they could be some kind of distant uncle-niece kind of relationship, especially since she holds the Bonnefoy name.

Finally we met Sakura! Geez, that took a while! She is so adorable and I love Japan x Netherlands. Because it's such a huge sausage-fest in most fics, I decided that some heteronormativity should be a thing and that including many gay-turned-hetero relationships in this fic. How do you guys feel about this?

As for the Ludwig journalism thing, I got that from the Season 5 "Journalism Club" club going on at the "academy" the APH characters are in. Engineering because he seems like an engineer-type dude.

And finally we know the Lars-Matt story behind their relationship! Woohoo!

So many discoveries today. I will update later today (it's actually 0:11 right now) when I get back from school... but for all you night owls, here is the chapter to satisfy your needs.

Sorry for the wait. I'll try to not do this is in the future.

~Awesome Maple

P.S. This is my longest chapter so far! I hope you enjoyed all the action.


	11. Chapter 11

Woohoo second chapter of the day!

This chapter we get a little NSFW material... I have co-written with my bestie a much more intense version that I will post (maybe) as a separate book for the older audience that likes to read more graphic action.

Enjoy!

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia (though that might be cool).

_Warning: NSFW material ahead (so adult-themed content) that will be indicated as "NSFW START" and "NSFW END". _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

Matt shivered a little as the quartet (Gilbert, Lars, Sakura and himself) headed out of the warm restaurant and to their respective cars. The stars shone and were clearly visible because the skies were clear, and the air was getting chillier.

The Canadian and German shuffled quickly across the parking lot and into the car, then proceeded to follow Lars' Honda Civic out to the carnival that was happening nearby.

After about twenty minutes worth of driving, the two cars pulled up into a packed parking lot and managed to park side by side, and emerged from them, walking over to the ticket booth.

"Four adult tickets," Lars said, and pulled out some money, but Matt stopped him, handing over the dollar bills.

"Let me pay," Matt insisted, and Lars pushed him back, "no, it's on me."

"But Lars you're broke—"

"Yeah well you're my guest—"

"But—"

"Children," Gilbert sighed, pushed the two away, and paid the ticket person as they continued to bicker. As Gilbert was handing over the money, he was surprised to see an old, familiar face…

"Roderich?"

"Oh," the Austrian said as he handed the tickets to Gilbert, rolling his eyes, "it's _you_."

"What do you mean 'it's _you'_?" Gilbert said playfully, taking the tickets and stuffing them in his pocket, motioning to his companions to go on ahead, "What are you doing back here?"

"Well I had to come back because I'm playing for a concert here next week," Roderich said and motioned for him to stand beside the booth rather than in front, "what have you been up to? Did you finish your history major?"

"Nah, I became a police officer at the police department downtown," Gilbert paused as a young couple paid for their tickets, then resumed, "I quit history after you left, but I've kept up my piano playing!"

"Good," Roderich smiled, "now let me get back to my job. I need to make some money, as the charity I play for needs some extra cash."

"Fine, _bye_," Gilbert said sassily, pointing behind him and raising his eyebrows, "but I better get free tickets to your next concert."

"Sure," Roderich sighed, knowing that Gilbert would get his way eventually, then passed a slip of paper, "here's my number."

"Sweet! You can come eat with Ludwig and myself sometime," Gilbert blew a kiss as he headed to the carnival to his impatient friends, "see you later!"

Roderich sighed to himself as he turned to the next customer. He knew he would have run into Gilbert at some point or another. He looked up with the same bored expression as always to see a gorgeous young woman smiling, her money out in her gloved hand.

"Was that your boyfriend?" She asked excitedly, "Because you are so cute! I love to see gay people so open about their relationships—"

"Er," Roderich's face heated up as the Hungarian woman in front of him ceased talking and he exchanged her money for a ticket, "he's not my boyfriend. We're old university friends and I haven't seen him in years. He's just weird…"

"Damn it," the woman sighed, disheartened, and then giggled, "I'm Elizabeta!"

"I'm Roderich," Roderich replied, "now miss, could you please move along? Thanks."

The gay-loving Elizabeta smiled to herself and moved along, a little disappointed that the albino and the Austrian weren't gay. She was a strong feminist and loved social justice—and she certainly promoted open relationships. It made her sad to see people all closeted up. Seeing openly gay people—men and women alike—always made her delighted. She came off as a major yaoi lover, but she wasn't _really._ She just... loved equality... That's what she told herself anyways.

The carnival was bright and bustling with people, lights flashing and rides whizzing, games making people cry out in frustration and joy. Sakura was quiet but enthusiastic and Lars laughed as she dragged him to go play games even though they lost most of them. When they won a fishing game against some kids, Sakura gave the teddy bear she won to one of her competitors.

Gilbert was jealous, to say the least. As he watched this simple, beautiful, yet perfect relationship between Lars and Sakura unfold before his eyes, he felt a bud of jealousy grow in his heart. He wanted a perfect relationship—heck, just a relationship, really. He tried to not let it drag his mood downwards.

_Gilbert, you're not a third wheel,_ he thought to himself as Lars and Sakura gave each other a small peck on the lips after they bought cotton candy, _you are a unicycle and they are your majestic training wheels._

Gilbert turned to a grumpy Matt, who had been sulking since Sakura and Lars had begun to act lovey-dovey. Matt wanted to hang out with his friend but ended up being a third wheel with Gilbert. Gilbert decided to lighten the mood.

"Heyyy Matt," Gilbert moved beside his colleague, matching his walking speed as they walked behind the soon-to-be-married couple, "are you grumpy because you're lonely? I know you're lonely—"

"I am not lonely, Gilb—"

"Yes you are," Gilbert put his arm around Matt's shoulders, "so I'm going to be your boyfriend!"

"What—"

"You know you want me," Gilbert winked, and Matt tried to shove his arm off, but suddenly a woman stuck her head awkwardly between the two.

"Gotcha!"

"What?" Gilbert and Matt asked in unison, confused, sliding apart to face the longhaired woman with bright eyes.

"I found gay people at last!" She cheered, a couple heads turned, but Matt glared at them and they turned away.

"We're not gay," Matt seethed, but Gilbert put a hand in front of his 'boyfriend's' mouth, and told her enthusiastically that indeed, they were.

"Oh, you are so cute!" She squealed, "My name is Elizabeta and I recently moved here to work at the hospital. Who are you?"

"We are Matt and Gilbert, paramedics!" Gilbert said proudly as Matt's face burned in shame. He slapped Gilbert's hand away as it tried to snake around his waist.

"We're not gay! He's lying," Matt jerked his thumb in Gilbert's direction, "don't listen to him."

_"Sure,"_ Elizabeta said sarcastically, not believing him, "well, you two are cute, I hope to see you around!"

With that, the cheery Elizabeta walked off to enjoy the carnival.

"You ass!" Matt slapped Gilbert as Lars and Sakura walked up to them, clearly amused. They had been hiding behind a popcorn stand, watching the scene unfold. Lars decided Gilbert was really a good guy, and he noticed that Matt seemed a little less violent since Gilbert had arrived in his life.

Matt was clearly cleaning up a bit more lately by taking more showers, brushing out his hair and shaving (and Lars thought he could see a lack of a unibrow). He stopped wearing his glasses and began wearing his contact lenses once more, which was a pretty big deal, as he always claimed they were too much of a hassle.

Matt was laughing a lot more and his slaps were less painful, and Lars could clearly see that he'd begun to eat properly again since Gilbert had moved in, and that the Canadian stood just a little straighter and kept his chin just a little higher up. So Gilbert was a hooligan and Matt had to practically babysit him… But he was a pretty good influence nonetheless, apparently. The physical signs were showing improvement, but did the physical body reflect the healing of badly wounded emotions?

Lars smiled as the two men continued to bicker, wrapping his arm around Sakura and following them as Gilbert insisted to go on a children's ride with Matt, who heavily protested but eventually gave in to Gilbert's wishes.

This night was turning out to be pretty great.

* * *

><p>"That was so much fun!" Gilbert exclaimed again (as he had been the whole way home from the carnival) once Matt had locked the door behind them.<p>

"Yes, okay, great," Matt pulled off his jacket and shoes, "now go to bed, it's already midnight."

"Wow what a party-pooper," Gilbert whined childishly, but then grinned and thanked Matt for the awesome night (again).

"No problem," Matt smiled tiredly. He retired to his own room after a quick teeth-brushing session and after changing into his pyjamas, uttered a quiet goodnight down the hall, which Gilbert returned, and he settled into his bed, content, falling asleep quickly.

* * *

><p>Gilbert waited until he could hear Matt snoring away and then padded down the dark room to the entrance. He hit his leg against a stool and suppressed a hiss of pain, then listened for Matt's snoring. It had stopped… But then resumed. Gilbert breathed a sigh of relief, his heart pounding as he went out into the hallway of the apartment complex.<p>

He didn't even have to knock on Carla's door when she opened it and dragged him in, shutting the door and pinning him against the wall.

_NSFW START_

"You're late babe," she murmured dangerously in his ear.

"Y-yeah," Gilbert said as her hand travelled up his shirt, "I know."

Carla quickly led Gilbert to her bedroom, and pulled off Gilbert's shirt, exposing his pale skin.

"Hot damn," she murmured and winked as Gilbert's ears turned pink. She moved in and felt Gilbert's hands slide up her back and Carla removed her top easily, and they began their kiss, slowly leaning onto the bed. They hastened to remove the rest of their clothing.

"Got any condoms?"

"Shit," Gilbert swore as he started to sit up, but Carla stopped him and pushed him down gently. Carla patted his head and reached into her nightstand.

"I am always prepared," she winked.

"Ready?" Gilbert asked once he'd put the condom on quickly, ready to take her. She simply kissed an approval, and away they went.

* * *

><p>"That was good," Gilbert laughed, and Carla giggled along.<p>

"Thanks Gilbert," Carla grabbed his hand, and he breathed, "no problem."  
>Once they regained their breath and Gilbert rolled the condom off throwing it in her garbage, he dressed (with her help, as he was still weak in the knees), and she helped him to her front door.<p>

_NSFW END_

"Thanks Gilbert!" She murmured softly. It was around 1:00 AM. Gilbert nodded and planted a kiss on her lips before winking and slowly entering Matt's apartment.

"No strings," Gilbert winked one more time and disappeared with the door closing behind him.

Carla sat on her still-warm bed. They agreed no strings attached... But the man was handsome. Besides, she wanted Matt. She scolded herself.

"Just go to bed," she muttered, and fell soundly asleep within a matter of minutes.

* * *

><p>When Gilbert turned around once he'd shut the door softly, without even a click to be heard, the lights flickered on, nearly blinding him, and he groaned as he saw Matt leaning against the wall, arms crossed as he glared. He'd been caught red-handed.<p>

"Did you have fun?" Matt asked sarcastically, and Gilbert thought one word, and one word only:

_Shit_.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Matt pounded his fist violently against Carla's door, and she opened up a few moments later, confused. Without any warning, Matt dragged her into his apartment and sat her on the couch beside a red-faced Gilbert. Gilbert didn't even look up as she sat beside him. He had never been so ashamed.<p>

"I know what you did," Matt said in a strict tone, and the adults in front of him didn't bother denying it, staying silent as they stared at their feet.

"You are not allowed to see each other for the rest of the time being, is that understood?"

"Yes," they replied in unison.

"Good. Now leave, Carla, and don't show your face around me again for the rest of the time Gilbert is here."

Carla stood up as fast as she could and scurried out of the room, completely ashamed and regretful. She could only imagine what would happen to Gilbert.

"Why did you do it?" Matt asked once he heard his apartment door close. Gilbert didn't look up.

"Why did you _do_ it?" Matt asked again, a little louder, "Answer me!" This time Gilbert looked up shamefully, and pressed his lips in a tight line.

"_Answer me_!"

"I-I don't know," Gilbert finally choked out, "I guess she kind of… I… I'm sorry Matt. You could call her a femme fatale, I guess. I didn't mean to do it—well, I wanted to—but I didn't want—no—I don't—" Gilbert couldn't express himself and Matt could see the tears in his eyes and Gilbert swallowed audibly. Gilbert was like a small child being scolded for something he thought was right or at least okay, and Matt felt some pity for him.

"Stop looking like that!" Matt whined childishly himself, looking away at Gilbert's pitiful expression, "Fine, I forgive you, you stupid bastard!"

"Yes!" Gilbert whooped in triumph and as he was jumping up, he was swiftly kneed in the groin and he fell over in pain.

"Don't do it ever again though, okay?" Gilbert nodded, as he lay curled up on the floor.

"What do you want to do?" Matt asked casually, as if his companion wasn't nearly crying from the pain. He walked over to make some breakfast.

"I don't know," Gilbert said as he collected himself painfully and stood, "but I have to meet a friend soon, so I could call him up and maybe we could go hang out with him for a bit."

"And this friend would be…?"

"Roderich, the guy at the ticket booth last night," Gilbert paused, "actually, wait, he has a concert we will see him at. He's pretty busy…" Gilbert dismissed the thought of meeting up with Roderich. The guy was really busy all the time.

"Huh… What kind of concert artist is he?" Matt asked as popped some bread into the toaster and got out some orange juice.

"He's a pianist who plays for charities," Gilbert sat on one of the two bar stools and watched Matt prepare their breakfast, "we were really close friends in university, but the bastard moved away before we could finish our history major."

"I see," Matt said, and the two lapsed into a comfortable silence.

The rest of the day was spent doing small errands, running into a few friends and enjoying the crisp weather, admiring the frost that had settled on the red and orange leaves—winter was coming prematurely, and soon the leaves would have to fall.

But nonetheless, the two got along peacefully for once as they went about their day together despite the morning skirmish. They didn't once revive the subject.

And so their day went.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Voilà!<p>

So the NSFW was very much watered down compared to the original... heh. I might post, might not... Help me decide! A couple of you might be going "pfft! I've seen sooo much worse!" but keep in mind this is rated "T", which means: _"Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes." _So I had to make a very watered-down version.

We've met Roderich (Austria), Elizabeta (Hungary) and seen some Lars-Sakura, though not in detail. I'm not sure if I'll expand on it or not. I hope Elizabeta didn't come off as too much of a yaoi lover... who am I kidding. That's exactly what happened. Sorry about that...

There are so many unresolved mysteries! Fem!Spain, FACE family, GerIta, Austria's concert... But I've got it all to be tied up in the end! Don't worry!

There you have it, a double update. I'll try not to do it in the future again... but school happens. We'll see. Whenever I end up skipping an update, it is accumulative. So if I skipped, say, 5 updates, you'd get 5 updates (+1 for the day it uploads, so 6). I will make sure this doesn't happen.

~Awesome Maple


	12. Chapter 12

I think it's been a month since I've been writing this story. Still going strong!

Aww I've been receiving the _sweetest_ messages on my reviews! Gah! You guys made me so happy. THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO Larthrain, GMoriell and a wonderful Guest whose name I don't know. Thanks for helping me make the 12 Chapter benchmark with all those incredibly positive comments!

Big time jump in this chapter with a little surprise at the beginning. *wink*

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia... but it certainly owns me to a certain (disturbing) degree.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Tino breathed happily the nasty smell of airports. He was an airforce fighter pilot and often wasn't at home for long periods of time, but finally, he had a chance to kick back and relax as he was on paid leave for the time being: the smell of airports was home. He had been back in his home country, Finland, for a while and was taken back on a civilian plane after many weeks of training.

He hailed a taxi and admired the scenery outside before the taxi driver drove up to his wonderful family home.

As he paid the taxi driver, he noted several boxes outside… And groaned audibly. His husband Berwald was Swedish and was obsessed with IKEA. He specialized in anaesthetics and made a grand total of over $400,000 a year and could afford to remake the house every three or four months… And remake the house means replacing all the furniture, repainting all the walls, and countless things that had to do solely with IKEA. The best part was that he donated all the old furniture to charities. He was the grandson of the CEO of IKEA and got half the stuff practically free.

Tino dragged his suitcase up the steps and tried the handle to see if the door was unlocked. Unfortunately it was, and Tino had to dig around in his pockets before he found the key. Just as he was about to open the door, somebody opened it for him and gave him a toothy smile.

"Peter!" Tino hugged his little adoptive son tightly and kissed his cheek, "I've missed you so much!"

"I missed you too daddy," Peter giggled, and dragged his adoptive father inside, "look at what dad and I did!"

Tino braced himself as he looked at the walls of their entrance for the first time.

A new IKEA closet was built into the wall to hang their stuff (a rather useful addition), and the walls were painted a light green as opposed to the original dark blue.

Tino hung his jacket quickly on one of the new (IKEA) hangers and observed the new (IKEA) drapes of the living room. He looked at all the new bright furniture (Peter and Berwald seemed to be favouring greens and yellows this time) before settling his eyes on his blank-faced husband who sat reading the newest IKEA catalogue on a bright green, soft looking (IKEA) arm chair.

Berwald looked up from his catalogue and Tino rushed forward to embrace his stiff husband. Over the years Tino had taught him to smile, and smile Berwald did as his smaller husband approached him and sat on his lap, holding him close.

"I missed you," Tino whispered, and he heard Peter making gagging sounds behind him as Tino pressed his lips against Berwald's incredibly soft ones—I mean, who _wants_ to see their parents kissing—and when they broke apart, Tino smiled and informed his Swedish lover that he loved the new house.

As Tino snuggled into Berwald's side, Peter joining them along with their white puppy, Tino realized again, as he always did, that this is home.

_Airports don't mean home. My house is not my home. Berwald and Peter are my home. This is my family… this is my home._

* * *

><p>The weeks rolled by and pretty soon it was December, with only one month left as a paramedic to end.<p>

Gilbert hadn't seen Ludwig since he'd left him, and he began to realize that being away from his brother wasn't so bad. He called him once a week (apparently Feliciana decided to move in as their relationship became very serious, which delighted Gilbert) and Gilbert regularly told his and Matt's tales of saving people.

Speaking of Matt, the two began to get along quite well, but their relationship remained strictly platonic. Gilbert was happy like that—he loved making friends, but Matt was really the kind of guy that you became _acquaintances_ with, not _friends_ (unless you're Lars). They were pretty great roommates.

From August to December, Matt had changed—he was much cleaner and smiled more, but his violent tendencies never really left him. He still harassed Gilbert when Gilbert annoyed him, and Gilbert expanded his French vocabulary quite a bit because of this.

They didn't do anything for Halloween except watch the _Rocky Horror Picture Show _(which disappointed Gilbert as he loved trick-or-treating) and they skipped the Canadian Thanksgiving (for reasons that Matt wouldn't give, and he kept ignoring a particular caller and silencing the rings when they called). They celebrated US Thanksgiving with Lars and Sakura at The International by getting the food practically free because of Sakura's discounts.

They saw Roderich's concert on a crisp September night but didn't end up seeing Ludwig for dinner. After his concert, Roderich took off, much to Gilbert's disappointment.

Finally though, it was mid-December and Matt was in his element.

Which is why, at 6:00 AM, Gilbert was being dragged out to the nearest pond in a public park (which had been iced and smoothed for skating).

"It's too freaking cold!" Gilbert whined again as they marched through the snow, "Why are we doing this?"

"Well I skate all the time and I've been waiting long enough for the snow. You're my guest and therefore must do what I say. When I say we skate, we skate," Matt said triumphantly, "plus," he added, "it's a sin not to be able to skate. So I will teach you!"

They walked over to the large frozen pond and Gilbert grumpily tied his skates. It was still incredibly dark out, and he could just barely see his feet with the rising sun.

"Okay now grab my hands," Matt instructed Gilbert, and Gilbert grabbed Matt's hands once he had tied the last knot, and held them in a death grip as Matt skated backwards and dragged Gilbert along with him gently.

Once they were in the middle of the pond, Matt showed Gilbert how to skate by pushing off with one foot and then push off with the other.

"It's simple really. Just push and glide."

So Gilbert pushed off… And fell on his ass.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed as he lay on his back on the hard, cold, ice. He rubbed his head. Matt started laughing hysterically and helped him up, "Nice," he said, and held onto Gilbert's hands this time as Gilbert as Gilbert protested that it was too hard.

Gilbert and Matt skated slowly until Gilbert thought he could skate, and just as Matt was about to let go, he hit a rough patch of ice and fell backwards onto his back, Gilbert falling on top of him.

"Ha," Gilbert smirked, "_nice_," he mocked. He tried to get up, but ended up falling on Matt and this time instead of his head landing on Matt's soft jacket-covered chest, he landed with his head just above Matt's.

Gilbert's eyes opened wide and he took in Matt's face in the morning light.

It was _gorgeous_, he allowed himself to think briefly.

It looked so... He couldn't describe the handsome, chiselled jawline and straight nose and how they all were combined to create what could only be described as a masterpiece in Gilbert's eyes. Gilbert could see from this proximity how soft his lips looked and how long his lashes were and how smooth his skin was, for he had recently shaved. A soft glow illuminated Matt's face and highlighted his pink nose and cheeks. His hat had fallen off and revealed long gold strands that shone. Matt was so warm and cuddly, creating a barrier between Gilbert and the ice. He could smell his peppermint breath and wondered what it would be like to kiss Matt; his lips were so soft looking…

_What the fuck,_ Gilbert thought, snapping out of his 'homo thoughts' as he scrambled to get off Matt and adjusting his own toque, _where the fuck did that come from?_

"Sorry!" Gilbert apologized as he opted to roll off Matt as oppose to try and stand up. Matt simply grunted and complained on how Gilbert was heavy as hell and helped him up.

"Hey wait—" Matt said as Gilbert wanted to try to skate again, and spun him around to look at the rising sun, "look at that."

They were both speechless as they stared at the beautiful dawn. Pink streaks laced the sky and the world seemed to be illuminated with oranges and reds, their faces glowing and the snow shimmering around them, the ice of the pond nearly blinding them.

Gilbert leaned on Matt for support, as he was growing tired from all that effort.

"Are we almost done?" Gilbert asked Matt once the sun had risen and was no longer captivating as it had initially been.

"Yeah," Matt said, leading Gilbert to the edge of the pond, "we're done. It's pretty cold out."

"No shit," Gilbert laughed. He was confused by how he had felt when he'd fallen on top of Matt. He wasn't gay, but… _Jesus fuck, Gilbert, stop it._

They headed home and were ready to spend the day doing whatever they felt like, as they had a two-week break.

* * *

><p>"What day is it?" Matt asked Gilbert absentmindedly as he prepared their breakfast. They were both oddly quiet, and they were usually an incredibly loud, rambunctious pair. Matt thought it was because of the event of the morning, but he wasn't sure…<p>

"Hmm…" Gilbert opened his phone and checked the date, yelping, "It's December 22nd! I haven't done my Christmas shopping!"

"Is it _that_ important?" Matt asked cynically, and Gilbert looked confused.

"Well yeah," he said in a '_isn't it obvious?_' tone, "I have to get something for Ludwig and send a gift to my grandpa in Germany."

"Well… I guess we can go shopping," Matt stated, "I haven't bought anybody anything for years and there's nobody I could buy anything for…"

"Well," Gilbert thought as he accepted Matt's delicious pancakes and hot chocolate, "you have Lars, Sakura and me!"

"True…" Matt said hesitantly as he sipped on his hot chocolate and leaned on the counter, "Maybe I'll get something."

"Woohoo!" Gilbert exclaimed and they finished their breakfast rapidly.

Gilbert threw on a casual pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and accompanied it along with his favourite German hat that he'd worn that morning.

* * *

><p>The two walked to the bustling mall and the German excitedly dragged Matt to the first… Pharmacy?<p>

"Gilbert what are we doing here?" Matt asked warily as Gilbert headed to what appeared to be…

"Gilbert we are _not_ buying condoms… What the hell?"

"My brother's girlfriend just moved in and he's a prude so I'm buying him condoms for him. He hasn't said anything, but I know my brother really well."

"You are _horrible,"_ Matt said, red-faced, as Gilbert happily bought them as if this was a normal, daily occurrence. He dragged Gilbert out as quickly as possible as some moms were giving them weird looks and covering their children's eyes.

Gilbert was about to drag Matt into a shop full of old books (for his grandfather) when he heard a familiar, "hey asshole!" behind him.

"Romano?" Gilbert whirled around to see his favourite Italian walked alongside a beautiful, what appeared to be, Spanish girl.

"This is Isabella Fernandez Carriedo," Romano didn't even bother with a hello, going straight to the point of introducing Gilbert to his companion.

"This is Matt," Gilbert introduced Matt to Romano in a similar, mocking fashion.

"How's work been?"

"Good. Isabella is pretty good," Romano said awkwardly. Isabella giggled and smacked his arm gently.

Gilbert was baffled. Never in his life had he seen Romano so _docile_; so _nice. _And he wasn't swearing, which disturbed Gilbert.

"What did you do to him?" Gilbert asked Isabella in horror.

"Not much," she smiled a bright smile, "I just taught this adorable tomato that swearing in front of kids undergoing physiotherapy isn't very good."

"Yeah, yeah," Romano said in embarrassed tone, getting red like a… tomato. That was really the best analogy for Romano's red face. He muttered a hasty goodbye and the two retreated into the crowd.

"That was weird," Gilbert frowned and then dragged Matt to the bookshop and to the history section.

"My grandpa, Old Fritz," Gilbert searched amongst the vintage books, "loves this shit. I'm pretty sure I'm not actually Prussian, but he insists I am." Matt stayed silent, observing his guest.

"Hmmm" Gilbert picked up a book called _The Franco-Prussian War_ and leafed the yellowed pages and felt the thick leather cover and decided to buy that one.

Gilbert himself quite enjoyed the smell of old books and took his time getting to the cash register, which was occupied by the same old man each year.

"$50," the old man held his hand out. He was mostly blind and priced every book (not matter what size) at $50.

"The prices are going up?" Gilbert asked, and the man seemed to recognize his voice, leaning over and…

"Aren't you the one that comes every year? Aren't you Fritz's grandson?"

"That's me!"

"Oh," the man gave Gilbert $30, "you get a discount."

"Thanks!" Gilbert put the money in his wallet, "Old Fritz gave you a letter," Gilbert produced an old letter and handed it to the geriatric man. The man gave him many thanks and bid him farewell. Gilbert walked out of the store with a smug expression on his face, Matt in tow.

"You're a special one, aren't you?" Matt asked, and Gilbert nodded triumphantly, and then briefly explained that Old Fritz and the old man were good friends and that Gilbert and Ludwig was their way of communication. Ludwig usually did the letter exchanging.

They walked around the mall and gathered presents for everybody and Matt ended up buying something for Lars and Gilbert—but refused to show him. Gilbert awww'd and put a hand on his heart but Matt smacked him upside the head and told him it was simply a thank you for behaving well.

After a couple hours of shopping, they pushed their way to the exit and out to the freezing parking lot, the snow nearly blinding them as they tried to find Matt's generic car. They drove home that evening and wrapped all their presents and set up their incredibly tiny (about knee-height) plastic Christmas tree.

* * *

><p><em>Everything is ready,<em> Gilbert admired his work in the living room. The calendar said December 25th. He walked straight into Matt's room (which was prohibited) and...

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Gilbert yelled at the top of his lungs as he jumped onto Matt.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT," Matt bellowed in return and threw Gilbert off of him, sending him crashing to the floor. He noted that Gilbert was already dressed…? Kumajiruouo just barely escaped a certain death.

"Come on Matt, let's go!" Gilbert dragged Matt out of his bed (quite literally) and to the living room where Gilbert had set the couch to a couch and placed the Christmas tree in the middle of the room.

There were a couple presents under the tree and a few sad, small ornaments… But what was most important was what was on the couch.

"Lars?" Matt rubbed his eyes, "Sakura?"

"Merry Christmas!" They cheered, and Matt was left speechless. Gilbert had not only fixed up their failed little Christmas tree, but he'd gotten Lars and Sakura to come over (with food) and had put a few more little presents under the tree.

"Did…" Matt frowned, "did you do this, Gilbert?"

"Yep!" Gilbert smiled and puffed out his chest, "It's my thank you for having me over at your place and having dealt with me for 23 weeks. We only have three weeks left as paramedics and I thought I'd thank you in advance for the cool opportunity!"

"You're welcome…" Matt said, embarrassed. His face was burning up from shame from both having misjudged Gilbert, and now, not knowing how to react. Nobody had ever done something so thoughtful… Not even his family. He was also in his pyjamas. That didn't really help the situation either.

"I… I think I'll go change…" Matt excused himself to his room to take in what had just happened. It was all so sudden and confusing...

* * *

><p>"Thanks for inviting us over, Gilbert," Lars patted Gilbert's strong shoulder and he replied with a "no problem!"<p>

"Matt hasn't had anybody do something like this for a long time Gilbert," Lars stood to finish the details for their Christmas breakfast, "I'm serious. Even I didn't think of doing this."

"I live with my brother," Gilbert moved from the couch to the counter where he handed the pastries from Sakura to Lars, "and I do this kind of thing regularly—"

Suddenly, the phone rang and stopped Gilbert mid-sentence. Lars swiftly picked it up and checked the caller ID before Gilbert could even have time to reach for it.

"Matt!" Lars' eyes widened, and he yelled into the hall, "It's for you!"

* * *

><p>Matt was just finishing putting in his contact lenses when he heard the home phone shriek and Lars inform him that it was for him. There were two possibilities, it was either a telemarketer or…<p>

Matt opened the bathroom door at an incredible speed and rushed to grab the phone, snatching it out of his best friend's hand and running back to his room.

Shaking, he pressed the green button and lifted the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Hello Matthieu!_" Francis Bonnefoy, his adopted father, said with a heavy French accent through the phone, "_Merry Christmas! How are you?_"

"I'm, uh, good. And you?"

"_Well your mother and I were wondering...Do you wanted to come up to Canada for a family get-together?_"

"Dad," Matt cringed at the word 'Canada', "you know I can't go back."

"_Oui, mon fils,_" Francis tried to bargain, but was swiftly cut off by Matt's adopted mother_, _Alice Kirkland. Francis and Alice weren't fertile, unfortunately, but decided to adopt twins that had been separated at birth and given different last names. Nobody in the family had given up anybody's last name and nobody bothered to change. Sure, they were questioned if they were even family, but who cared? It was too much of a hassle to change the names.

"_Sweety! It's mummy!_" Alice's British accent filtered excitedly into the phone and Matt lay down on his back on his bed.

"Hi mom."

"_We've missed you so much Matthew!_"

"Mom I go by Matt now… Remember?"

"_Oh come on now,_" Matt's mom scolded him, "_your name is Matthew. Besides, it's not legally changed!_"

"Actually it is," Matt informed her. His preferred name was Matt because the name Matthew held too many negative memories.

"_Well anyways,_" Alice sighed and changed the subject; "_your father and I wanted to invite you to come up with us for New Year's!_"

"Look, mom," Matt tried to reason with her, "I can't go back to Canada—"

"_The past is the past!_"

"That's easy for _you _to say! You weren't the one when—" Matt caught himself and held back tears before clearing his voice and muttered, "you're ruining my Christmas mom. Love you guys. Bye."

Matt ignored the protests on the other end as he simply hit the red button and muted the ringer for the rest of the day, throwing the phone on his bed.

_I can't let the past ruin the present._

On that note, Matt stood up, put on a brave, strong smile, and walked out of his bedroom and to his friends, the people who really _cared_ about him, and enjoyed the best Christmas he'd had in a long time in pure bliss.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Surprise! We got to see one of my top OTPs, SuFin (+Sealand!) in action. I saw that prompt on Tumblr (for Finland to walk in with the house completely remade) and decided it deserved a place in my story. Super cute! (BTW IKEA is the best thing ever I love IKEA).<p>

So much action... Sorry for the two month time jump. I'm kind of sad we haven't seen Gilbert or Matt do anymore paramedic work but I have to get this story going a little more! Plus, I really want you guys to see Matt as a police officer (kinky...).

YES GMORIELL YOU CAUGHT MY EYEBROW REFERENCE IN THE OTHER CHAPTER. (You are super cool for having caught that). I recommend you go back to the last chapter when we first meet Berwald as I took your review and decided to add some canon lines.

I would like to tell you that I have a grand total of 16 different countries that have read this story! Those countries are: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Australia, Finland, Poland, Portugal, Ecuador, China, Indonesia, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Iceland, Malaysia, Italy and finally, Panama!

We finally know that Matt's dad is Francis and Matt's mom is Alice. Woohoo! And we met Isabella (Fem!Spain). So many characters! Matt and Romano have changed so much though. Gilbert has really softened Matt up. I'm not sure if this is a good thing. It's rather strange and I hope he goes back to normal.

Probably one of my favourite quotes of all time:

**"**_The author looked to his character, "You're the character, tell me what to do!"  
><em>_The character look to his author and retorted, "You're the author, tell me what to do!_**"**

I feel like it really applies to me. Matt, tell me what to do with you!

Lol long note. See you Thursday!

~Awesome Maple

P.S. So far this chapter has broken the record for longest chapter at 3,821 words!


	13. Chapter 13

I went to the Rainbow Youth Forum 2014 today and it was super fun! I got to learn about a ton of things like gender identity in sports, how to help strengthen my GSA at school and how theatre is a great way to communicate and educate people about issues in the world or tough concepts. Really fun!

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I DONT OWN HETALIA. BUT THAT WOULD BE HELLA COOL.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

"Lars will take good care of you, okay Kuma…" Matt checked his cat's new collar, which had been a present from Gilbert, "Kumajirou." He petted Kumajirou on the head affectionately.

Matt and Gilbert were getting ready to go to Gilbert's house to begin the new 26 weeks as police officers. Because of Gilbert's schedule, it didn't make sense for Matt to stay at his own place for the first couple weeks, as they had done with Gilbert, so today, on January 31st, they were grabbing a suitcase for Matt and were leaving the apartment. Lars had offered to take in Kumajirou for those weeks, as he now owned a proper house, and would also regularly check up on Matt's apartment and clean it up every once in a while. This is what best friends are for.

Lars and Sakura had finally gotten married on January 20th and Matt had been Lars' best man. Sakura finally got a job at the nearby studio and decided to stay in their town… Life was good for the new couple. They both had stable jobs, they were married and they nearly paid off the debt for the car and now, their parents had decided that instead of a baby shower, they would help buy a house for them, so now they owned a small family house (still have to pay off a lot of mortgage though) in the suburban areas. Lars confided in Matt that he was ready to start a family, but had yet to ask Sakura about it.

"All set to go?" Gilbert asked as Matt made his tenth round around the house to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. _I took the family picture, I took a decent amount of clothes, my toiletries, my shoes, we've cleared all the food, I've given Lars my car keys, put the car in the garage, I gave him my second set of house keys… I think I'm ready. _Matt took a deep breath and told them that yes, he was ready.

"Thanks for everything, Lars," Matt hugged his best friend tightly, suppressing a couple tears. He knew he would miss Lars greatly, but Gilbert promised they would be able to meet up when they had the time to do so. He never left home, so he was nervous.

Matt and Gilbert loaded Gilbert's car (Lars and Ludwig had coordinated to drop Gilbert's car off somehow) and were off.

* * *

><p>Gilbert opened the garage door by pressing a button on the little remote control, which he had gotten for his 23rd birthday. Ludwig was very thoughtful, as Gilbert had been prematurely promoted as inspector and his lifestyle was getting really irregular and he needed to keep the car in the garage at all times, or else it would take too long to heat the engine up when he needed to go for an emergency call. Getting out of the car to do the passcode for the garage took way too long.<p>

He smoothly drove his car backwards into the garage and pulled Matt's heavy suitcase out of the car.

"Jesus Christ, Matt," Gilbert held the suitcase bridal style, "why the hell is this thing so heavy?" Before Matt had the chance to say anything, Gilbert kicked the unlocked garage door open with a bang and shouted,

"I'M HOME!"

"Rude much?" Matt asked, but Gilbert just told him this was normal. He heard a groan from somewhere in the house. It was probably his brother, and he was told that Ludwig was really strict… Apparently he was the complete opposite of Gilbert.

Matt and Gilbert headed to the kitchen and found Ludwig preparing lunch.

Ludwig was practically a human tank. He was incredibly tall (about two or three inches, (5-7 cm) taller) and had frigid blue eyes that were the complete opposite of Gilbert's red ones. He was a little tanner and Matt could clearly see large amounts of rippling muscles under his loose t-shirt. His light blond hair was slicked back and his eyebrows seemed to be in a permanent frown. All in all, he was rather intimidating.

"Hello," Ludwig approached Matt and shook his hand, "welcome to our house. I hope you enjoy your stay."

He had a thick German accent (Gilbert also had one, but it seemed to have worn off because of how often he spoke with non-German speakers) and he was even more formal than Matt.

"Ludwig chill out!" Gilbert smacked his younger brother's heavily muscled arm and Ludwig noted that Gilbert had bulked up quite a bit since he'd left.

"Sorry Matt," Gilbert apologized on Ludwig's behalf, "he's terrible at introductions," Gilbert turned to his brother and asked, "Where's Feli?"

"She's—"

An Italian beauty emerged from the entrance holding some groceries and nearly dropped them as she saw Gilbert.

"Gilbert!" She rushed over and hugged him, and Gilbert awkwardly hugged her back, "Hey Feli…"

"Ludwig I got the _Barilla_ pasta this time! And I got some other stuff—" Feliciana suddenly stopped as she saw Matt behind Gilbert, "Hello! I am Feliciana, Ludwig's girlfriend!"

"Hi," Matt said awkwardly with a little wave. They all stood in silence before Feliciana broke it and pushed Gilbert gently towards the exit of the kitchen, telling him to show Matt around the house. Thank God they had Feli in the house, or else it would have been so much more awkward with just the three men.

"Ha…" Gilbert dragged Matt's suitcase to the basement door, "Sorry about all of that."

"It's fine," Matt said, a little overwhelmed. He could tell immediately that it was going to be packed in this house, and that it was meant for a maximum of three only. Just as Gilbert opened the basement door, a yellow ball of fluff landed on Gilbert's head.

"Gilbird!" Gilbert dropped Matt's suitcase and picked the yellow bird off his head.

"I've missed you so much! How are you?" The little bird cheeped a little whistle in response to Gilbert's questions, and Gilbert inspected the bird, "Ludwig hasn't been feeding you properly. You're so thin!" Matt was surprised. That was the plumpest bird he'd ever seen!

"Matt, this is Gilbird," Gilbert handed the little bird to Matt, who rolled his eyes, "of course you would name the bird after yourself."

"Well yeah," Gilbert laughed as if it was obvious, and Gilbert went on Gilbert's head once Gilbert had picked up Matt's suitcase. At least he was a decent host.

They walked down the straight staircase and to the rather large basement.

There was a small bed (the kind people used on camping trips) with a comfortable-looking mattress on it. It was at the end of the room closest to the staircase, nestled at the far right of the room. There was a queen bed on the other end with a couch in the middle of the room and a TV mounted on the wall. Under it was a large selection of movies. On the wall beside the queen-sized bed (Gilbert's bed) there was a decently seized bathroom. On the wall perpendicular to his bed there was a messy desk with papers everywhere. The room also had tons of posters and pictures and was painted a bright orange.

"So this little bed is for you," Gilbert dumped the suitcase beside it, "and I've cleared out a section of my closet for you to put your stuff so you don't have to live out of your suitcase."

"Wait—we're sleeping in the same room?" Matt sputtered in disbelief.

"We have a guest room, but because of my job it makes more sense for you to be with me. I often wake up late at night or in the early hours of the morning and so I've been moved to the basement so I don't wake Ludwig up."

Matt was troubled. He always had led a very strict and predictable lifestyle… This was going to be interesting. He always worked between 8:00 and 16:00 five days a week. Apparently Gilbert worked very strange hours, sometimes every day of the week. But he was more worried that Gilbert would see Matt's reaction to his nightly nightmares.

"Anyways," Gilbert's voice pulled Matt out of his thoughts, "we're going to take a tour of the house."

They walked up the stairs and to the hallway beside the kitchen, and Gilbert explained the layout of the house—it seemed that every room had a specific purpose.

"The reason why I was placed in the basement is because not only Ludwig didn't want to be woken up, but because it's close to the kitchen and I often need to grab a bite to eat—we actually set up a specific cupboard for only me and designated a specific part of the fridge for me so I don't have to rummage around for food."

They walked down the hall to their left, which led to the front door, and to their right was the hallway leading to the mini garage hallway. To their left was a staircase leading to the top floor and to the living room, which was painted a light blue. Matt noted that all the floors were hard floor (except for the bathrooms, the kitchen and the garage hall).

"Want to go upstairs or to the living room and piano room?"

"Umm… The living room?"

"Right this way!" Gilbert walked into the neat living room. It was open concept, and to the right there was the dining room. There was a double door on the far end and Gilbert revealed it was the piano room that he'd seen when he first picked Gilbert up.

The dining room was connected to the kitchen and between the two rooms was a door to the incredibly small backyard, but Gilbert pulled Matt to the top floor.

It was simple, with a guest room, a master bedroom and a bathroom in both the hallway and the master bedroom. They walked back downstairs when Feliciana called them down.

They had a simple lunch of pasta, and just as they were going to get up and leave, the lights went out. Suddenly, Feli appeared with a cake and candles fizzling.

"Happy birthday to you," she sang melodiously and Ludwig added a baritone (he was surprisingly good at singing), "happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Gilbert…" Feliciana set the chocolate cake in front of Gilbert, "Happy birthday to you!"

Gilbert, grinning, blew out the candles, but only two remained, and Feli exclaimed, "you will have two partners in the future!"

Apparently every candle that the person had not blown out would mean that the person would have that many partners within that year or at least the near future.

"I told her to wait for the evening," Ludwig grunted, a little pink, "but she insisted on having it now."

"Thanks guys," Gilbert appreciated, "I almost forgot about my birthday!"

"When was your birthday?" Matt frowned.

"January 18th," Gilbert excitedly cut into his cake, which read _Happy 26__th__ Birthday Gilbert!_ And added, "I didn't bother telling you because it was too much of a hassle."

"You should have told me… We could have done something!" Matt was so ashamed. He never bothered to check Gilbert's birthday, especially since Gilbert had created such a thoughtful Christmas.

"We have a gift for you, Gilbert," Ludwig handed Gilbert a present that was extremely well wrapped.

"Thanks, Bruder," Gilbert placed a hand on his heart, and Ludwig told him to "just open it already."

Gilbert excitedly opened the gift, which was no bigger than the palm of his hand and was rectangular. In it was a family picture of Gilbert, Ludwig and their grandfather they took when they were about seven years old and had hiked in the Berchtesgarden National Park in Germany. The picture frame was lined with macaroni and a couple buttons and was clearly created by a child who was in their younger years (it was actually made a week or two after the trip).

"I found it in an old box and I thought you would like to have it," Ludwig gave Gilbert an awkward one-armed hug, which Gilbert returned.

"Thanks Luddy," he smiled, and they passed a comfortable silence.

"Well," Gilbert stood, "Matt and I have to go meet my boss."

"Feli and I will clean up," Ludwig returned to his serious composure and Gilbert rolled his eyes, heading to the garage.

"We're going to go and get a tour of the station," Gilbert informed Matt as they settled into Gilbert's car. He turned on the ignition of his manual, opened the garage, shifted into first gear, and headed off to the police station, which was around five minutes away from home. It was rather convenient.

* * *

><p>Gilbert ushered Matt to the separate entrance marked 'employees only' and they quickly headed up to Gilbert's office.<p>

Now, you see, Gilbert loved surprising people, but today was _not _the time. Gilbert, as usual, banged open to the door to his, Mathias, and Lukas' offices. Strangely, Mathias wasn't at his desk. Weird. He knocked on Lukas' office door, and an angry Mathias opened the door, "What the—"

His hair was a mess and his clothes were rather dishevelled, and he was completely red in the face.

"Oh shit," Mathias looked behind him and Gilbert heard Lukas' voice hiss a "Who's there?" from inside the office.

"H-Heyyyy officer," Mathias ran a hand through his hair and tried to straighten his clothes, "you're a day early," he laughed nervously.

"Hmm what were you doing Mathias?" Gilbert inquired. He was a little pissed, but he knew exactly what was going on. His gut told him the Danish secretary and the Norwegian officer were definitely making out. He wondered how long they were doing this. Mathias stuttered a little bit, and Gilbert rolled his eyes,

"How long have you guys been dating?"

"What? We're not dating, we're not homos," Mathias laughed nervously, "We're not, like, gay or anything—"

"Mathias you know me."

"… Okay, we've been dating since last week," Mathias was ashamed. Matt stood awkwardly in the background as the scene unfolded in front of him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gilbert clapped his hand on his secretary's shoulder. It was hard to stay mad at Mathias. He was just a little surprised that the Danish man was gay… He'd never really wondered about it, but he'd noticed the way Mathias had begun to look at the high-ranking Lukas, now that he thought about it, 26 weeks ago.

"Come on out Lukas," Gilbert called, "clean yourself up a bit. I have to introduce you to Matt."

"Right!" Mathias looked over his shoulder to see Matt observing the office. He pushed past Gilbert and shook Matt's hand, "I'm Mathias Køler, Gilbert and Lukas Bondvik's joint secretary."

"And I'm Matt Williams," Matt introduced himself politely, "I'm working with Gilbert."

Matt wasn't really homophobic, but he felt weary around Mathias. He seemed like he would be a loud man, and the sour Norwegian who appeared behind him was incredibly intimidating. He had a hard time believing the cheery man and the sour man could even be attracted to each other. Gay people made him kind of nervous, but he wasn't sure why.

"I'm Lukas," the shorter Norwegian shook Matt's hand, and then Gilbert told them to go do it in their own houses as this behaviour was unacceptable at work, and his co-workers pressed their lips in a tight line, nodding.

"This is my office," Gilbert said as he gently placed his birthday present, which he had put in his jacket, on his messy desk as he led Matt into his office.

"Mathias almost always does my paperwork and the only thing I do is I sign stuff and skim his work. He's really good at that," Gilbert gestured to the enormous, untouched pile of papers in the corner. He grimaced.

"Anyways, let's go meet my boss, and then we're done for the day. Tomorrow we're going straight to work!"

Matt nodded warily and let Gilbert lead him to the boss' office on the fifth floor. Gilbert took the long way and decided to introduce Matt to every single person in the police station (except for the people who were taking 911 calls. It was common sense to not barge in and bug the people who were dealing with these emergencies…).

Gilbert finally reached the top floor where his boss' office was, and Matt grew nervous as he saw that Gilbert actually knocked and waited—this was a man of power; one that Gilbert respected. This was going to be interesting.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>WHO IS THE BOSS? CAN YOU GUESS? FIRST GUESSER TO GUESS IT RIGHT BY THE TIME I POST THE NEXT CHAPTER ON SUNDAY GETS TO BE MENTIONEDDEDICATED!

Oh yeah... DenNor. My best friend and I ship DenNor so hard. She actually got me into it lol. Weeeeeeee! So we finally have a gay couple. Man, if Elizabeta found out about this..

And I'm so happy for Lars and Sakura. I decided the two deserved a little love because they are so cute!

See you Sunday!

~Awesome Maple


	14. Chapter 14

I almost forgot to upload today! It's around 17:30 here, I'm so sorry for being late!

_THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO CountryShipper96_ who somehow guessed the boss...?

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: i dun ownn hetalia. tank gog 4 dat.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

"Come in!" Gilbert and Matt walked into the bright, off-white office. A young woman, from Liechtenstein, gestured for them to sit down on the stiff waiting chairs. Her desk was large and directly across from the doors with many papers. Adulthood was all about papers apparently. She picked up the phone and basically whispered that "Beildschmidt and the guest" had arrived, and after a moment, she told them to go into the double doors situated to the right of her desk.

Gilbert walked into the room and Matt took in the large office. It was all white and held no paintings or drawings whatsoever, and the only pieces of furniture looked expensive (but Gilbert knew that his boss loved to save money and got everything for really cheap).

A chair faced the huge window that looked out to the town below them, and Gilbert cleared his throat. Matt saw that on the boss' desk there was a placard that read "Zwingli". The chair swivelled and on it, Gilbert's boss cracked an unnatural smile, standing up and extending his hand to shake Matt's from across his desk before they all sat down.

"My name is Vash Zwingli," the strict-looking Swiss man grumbled, "Gilbert's boss. Welcome to the station, Mr. Williams."

"Thank you," Matt said, just as formally, "it's an honour to be here."

"Great," Mr. Zwingli nodded, "any questions?"

"No sir," Matt replied curtly.

"In that case, you are dismissed."

"Your boss is really efficient," Matt blinked once they exited the office.

"Yeah, that's Mr. Zwingli for you!"

* * *

><p>Gilbert's pager went off at 4:13 AM the next day, and he promptly woke up. He was a little groggier than usual, as he was used to waking up at specific times as opposed to random ones, but he knew he'd end up getting used to it soon enough.<p>

Gilbert looked at the glowing device in his hand and speed-dialled the number.

"Mathias?"

"_Hey officer! We have a case downtown about 20 minutes away from your place. I'll fax you the information,_" Mathias informed him, and hung up.

Gilbert didn't know what he'd do without Mathias. He was always in the office for incredibly long hours, usually for 14 hours at a time (with intervals) but didn't really do much, apart from watch cat videos, knit, talk to his friends, eat and sleep... He once lived in the office for a week and jokingly said that he should permanently live there.

It was really annoying to get calls from anybody other than Mathias because they simply fax him the info and just call him saying the same automated words:

"SEE FAX MACHINE."

That was it, literally. See fax machine. At least Mathias gives him the distance from his place and the general location.

"Hey Matt, wake up," Gilbert shook Matt's shoulder gently.

Matt was clenching the blanket tightly, and before Gilbert could hypothesize as to what was going through Matt's mind, Matt's eyes flew open and he gasped, yelling "Yekaterina!"

Gilbert frowned and rubbed Matt's shoulder and Matt gripped his sheets in panic before he registered that it was Gilbert's face.

"I've got a case," Gilbert said softly, "we have to go downtown."

Matt checked his bedside clock, which now read 4:17 AM.

"At this hour?" He asked groggily and now, embarrassed.

"I work irregular hours, remember?" Gilbert walked to his end of the room and flicked the bathroom light on so that they could see a bit better.

"I was hoping we'd get a case in the afternoon but they caught me at this time," Gilbert walked over to a fax machine Matt hadn't noticed earlier, as it was tucked into a corner, "so we should get ready. Your clothes are on the chair beside you," Gilbert pointed to the chair by Matt's bed as he pulled out some papers from the machine.

While Matt was heaving himself out of bed, Gilbert was shamelessly getting changed in the corner. Matt happened to look at Gilbert when his pale hip was exposed and he saw what appeared to be a tattoo that had been covered when Gilbert had had his swim trunks on. He looked away and focused on getting dressed.

The next time he looked up, Gilbert was already halfway up the stairs.

"You coming?" He asked. His hair was brushed back already (like Ludwig's) and he had his police cap on. Matt nodded as he scrambled to brush his hair with his fingers and tie it in a ponytail and threw on his own police cap and ran up the stairs after turning the bathroom light off, and walked quickly to the kitchen.

Gilbert reached into the cupboard and pulled out two baggies, handing them both to Matt as he told him to follow him to the garage. Gilbert was in his element-he was already getting into the groove of having to do strange hours.

They grabbed drinks from the fridge and quickly headed to the car. As Gilbert started the ignition and opened the garage door, he happily grabbed his pack from Matt and chowed down on a really crappy breakfast.

"What about..." Matt began hoarsely, "What about training?"

"I believe on learning on the spot," Gilbert winked and he shoved his second CLIFF bar down his throat.

Gilbert looked at the paper at a stop light, "Two streets down, there are five victims at the scene. The paramedics have looked at them and they are dead."

"Ok..." Matt ate what he thought was supposed to be a packet of high calorie cookies of sorts.

"I'm not sure what went on back at home," Gilbert said carefully, "but if you want to tell me I'll listen."

"I can't," Matt looked out the window, "it's too complex. I don't know where to begin."

"Well..." Gilbert turned a sharp corner. _Two streets to go._

"Who is-or was-Yekaterina? You screamed that name when I woke you up."

"She..." Matt swallowed audibly, "She was my ex-wife."

Gilbert was at a loss for words, but thankfully, he arrived at the scene just in time. Just before they got out of the car, Gilbert grabbed Matt's arm, whispering, "I don't know what went wrong in your past, but you're going to have to forget it or tell me soon because we have a case to do and we can't let emotions distract us." Matt nodded.

Gilbert and Matt stepped out of the car and once Gilbert locked it, they stepped over the yellow tape and flashed their inspector badges to the guarding police officer.

"So Matt," Gilbert said as they approached Romano (and Isabella), Gilbert's most trusted subordinate, "I need you to forget everything about being an RCMP officer. We don't chase after anybody. As an inspector, you look at the scene and take notes."

"Got it," Matt affirmed. Gilbert said a couple things to Romano after saying hello to him and Isabella, before he turned back to Matt as Romano walked towards another officer.

"I want you to look at the house," Gilbert said. Matt looked at the house.

"What do you see?"

"A house."

"No _look_ at it. Do you see any anomalies?"

"Not really…"

"What about the broken window on the second floor and the blood on the grass? What about the door frame and porch being full of bullet holes?"

Matt looked at the specific areas that had been pointed out and was surprised Gilbert could see all the differences from the distance they were at. It's not that they were hard to see, it was just so detailed.

"I need you to write it all down. Write down the bullet holes and where they congregate. Write down which window exactly is broken and which side is broken. Now notice where the blood on the grass is. Write it all down." Matt wrote furiously in his notebook Gilbert had given to him.

"Are you done?" Gilbert asked about 30 seconds later. Matt had barely written down the first thing!

"No I'm not! Wait a sec!"

"We don't have time to wait. I wrote down stuff too so we can compare notes later. Let's go into the house."

"Hello inspector," a young woman from Taiwan greeted them and then proceeded to show them through the open door.

They walked in to find a bloody handprint on the wall in front of them and bullet holes everywhere. They took notes. The walked into various rooms in the house, finding two bodies (two women) hugging each other tightly, their cold, blue bodies tangled together forever. They wrote it down.

They found the other three bodies; one was in a closet and appeared to have committed suicide, and was covered in blood. One had been stabbed to death and the other had had her throat cut open. Matt and Gilbert wrote this all down. A photographer was going around and taking evidence pictures, and by the time Gilbert and Matt left the scene, the bodies were being brought away to have autopsies on them and certain pieces of evidence were being carefully placed in baggies to be scanned for fingerprints.

* * *

><p>This was the toughest case the station had had in quite a while, and it seemed like fate was on the police's side this time, for their best inspector, Gilbert, was back.<p>

Matt and Gilbert drove over to Tim Horton's at around 8:00 to get a better breakfast.

"How did you find the first day?" Gilbert asked Matt as they walked into the building, and Matt yawned, "It was weird seeing dead bodies. I'm used to being there before the inspectors arrive, and I'm also used to only half-dead people."

"Off the top of your head," Gilbert began, getting in the short line, "what do you think happened?"

"I don't know," he said, "I need to look at the notes—"

"Don't look at them," Gilbert stopped Matt's hand as it reached into his pocket, "I want you to trust your gut."

"But I can't trust my gut!" Matt frowned. He was analytical. He needed logic.

"Okay," Gilbert said once he ordered them doughnuts (which made Matt and half the staff roll their eyes), "well I'll tell you what I think. There were two females that were around the same age, locked in an embrace—" he stopped as the waitress brought them their order, then resumed, "there was an elderly man that was dead, one elderly woman and one man that committed suicide, it seems. What can you theorize from that?"

"Nothing," Matt ate his doughnut, looking at Gilbert with a blank expression.

"Oh come on! It's so obvious! The elderly man and the woman were married, the two girls were lesbians—did you see how they held each other—and the man who committed suicide murdered them all. One of the women—the brunette—was married to him. She had a few cuts on her fourth finger, where there was supposed to be a wedding ring. The elderly couple were her parents... How could you not see the resemblance? She left him for her lesbian lover and he got revenge by killing her entire family," Gilbert smiled triumphantly and bit into his powdered doughnut.

"What the fuck?" Matt frowned to hard he thought his eyebrows would become one.

"What? It's logical."

"No it's not! How the hell did you come up with that?"

"I looked at the evidence."

"Pfft! Evidence my ass!"

"You wanna bet?"

"Sure. One paid dinner at the other's request."

"Deal," Gilbert smirked.

* * *

><p>The clock on Gilbert's wall read 3:34 PM. His desk had been cleared and Matt and Gilbert's notes were strewn all over it, the pictures seemed to be placed at random, but Matt and Gilbert knew exactly where the pictures went.<p>

"Okay look at her finger," Gilbert picked up a picture and grabbed one of the sheets that had been ripped from his notebook with his analysis. Matt grabbed the notes and the finger, read them over, and then wrote on a separate sheet of paper his conclusion.

They had taken all the evidence (including all the family records) and Gilbert was making Matt figure out the situation analytically. Gilbert knew he was getting his dinner for sure, his gut told him.

* * *

><p>5:21. Matt was getting so tired of this case but he pushed on, and now could see, based on the family records, the fingerprints on certain objects, the pictures, and their notes… Gilbert was right. This baffled him, though he would never ever admit it out loud.<p>

"You're right," Matt said simply, collapsing into his chair in defeat.

"Told you so!" Gilbert sang immaturely, and Matt smacked him.

* * *

><p>Gilbert and Matt sat together in a red leather booth at The International and a Romanian waiter came by and gave them their meals.<p>

"How did you enjoy the first case?" Gilbert asked _again,_ and Matt grunted.

"It was…" He couldn't think of anything other than "it was really difficult."

"It's okay," Gilbert said once he swallowed his… Latvian food—he had no idea what it was—"it wasn't an easy one."

"I just don't get how you rely so easily on your sheer instincts!"

"Well it always worked for me," Gilbert shrugged, "so I never questioned it and went with it."

"What number am I thinking of?" Matt tested him.

"5," Gilbert said casually, not missing a beat, "I'm not clairvoyant though, Matt. I just have a strong sense of intuition and am very in touch with the world around me."

"I see…"

"Hey Gilbert!" A strong Danish hand gripped Gilbert's shoulder and he looked up to see Mathias and Lukas.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm bringing Lukas on a date," Mathias said casually, and Lukas smacked his arm while grumbling.

"You're so cheesy," Gilbert winked, and Mathias rolled his eyes before ginning widely.

"Did you hear? The Winter Olympics are happening soon!"

"Really?" Matt asked, excited. He loved watching the hockey, but then he remembered—no. _Stop Matt_.

"Yep! Starting… In two days actually!"

"Sweet! Snowboarding and ice dancing are my favourites," Gilbert exclaimed, then turned to Matt and asked him what he thought.

"Well I personally hate ice dancing with a passion," Matt said angrily, surprising everybody, even Lukas, but then redeemed himself quickly; "but hockey is the _best_."

"Of course you would love hockey," Gilbert rolled his eyes, grinning handsomely.

"Mathias our table is free," Lukas tugged Mathias' jacket in the other direction. Mathias nodded to his boyfriend.

"Well, see you around, officer!" Mathias saluted Gilbert and Gilbert chuckled, turning back to Matt.

"I think we should go back home," Gilbert said once he had asked the waiter for the bill, "I'm dead tired."

"Same…" Matt replied. He pursed his lips as he signed the bill and they made their way silently home.

_I really hope we don't watch ice dancing._

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>So Zwingli, Switzerland, was the boss! Good job CountryShipper96 ;) I don't know... I found his personality fit.<p>

Why does Matt hate ice dancing so much? I wonder. Actually, I don't. I know. Ha.

Anyways that's all, I don't really have much to say. Something is wrong with Matt this fic is going downhill helllpppp. :'(

~Awesome Maple


	15. Chapter 15

Wow sorry guys for missing the chapter on Thursday! I'm such a d*ck I know, especially since I didn't give a warning. This is a pretty important chapter.

HERE IT IS.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Warning: TRIGGERING MATERIAL (suicide) AHEAD, WILL BE MARKED AS _TRIGGERING MATERIAL BEGIN _and _TRIGGERING MATERIAL END._ _Not plot relevant._

_Viewer discretion is advised._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

It was two days since he'd arrived.

Matt stared into the darkness after yet another nightly terror. Yesterday they had another two cases (one at 13:37 PM and another at 18:56) and he was absolutely _exhausted_ as he checked the glowing clock on his mini nightstand, which read 7:00. His dream was happening irregularly, which was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because he was woken before it started or he had it much before he got a case, thus waking up earlier than needed and getting less much-needed sleep. He had no idea how Gilbert did it.

Matt felt a growing need in his legs to take a stroll to burn off some nervous energy so he paced a few times by his bed and to the bathroom. Feeling a little calmer, he claimed back into bed a tried to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>Matt must have been able to go back to sleep soundly, because a few hours later he felt an annoying finger poking his cheek. He slapped it violently away before hearing Gilbert's voice calling him to wake up.<p>

"Morning, Matt!" Gilbert said cheerfully. Light was streaming full force from the window, and Matt could see Gilbert's soft white hair glow in the warm rays. There was a tiny window in the room at ground height, and it let in a surprising amount of sunlight.

"Do we have a case?"

"Nope. It's 10:30 though and we should go eat breakfast," Gilbert informed him, pointing at the clock.

"Okay," Matt sat up and got dressed while Gilbert waited for him while he played on his iPod.

Once Matt was ready, the two went up the stairs to greet Feli and Ludwig who were making brunch.

* * *

><p>Gilbert sighed internally as he cracked another joke to keep up his façade so nobody knew his irritation. His brother was in a great relationship with Feli and seemed to be paying less attention to him. He was quite jealous.<p>

Call him a crybaby but he loved Ludwig to death and just wanted a little bit of love.

"When are the opening ceremonies?" Gilbert asked to nobody in particular as he cleaned the dishes.

"Around 13:00," Feli supplied the answer. Gilbert was curious-why did Matt hate ice dancing, one of the most incredible sports out there? He decided he would force Matt to watch them with him.

Gilbert's pager suddenly went off and he quickly called Mathias.

"Hello?"

_TRIGGERING MATERIAL BEGIN_

"_Hey Gilbert! There's a teenager on the bridge above the river that wants to commit suicide and we need somebody to talk him out. Our officers are doing a terrible job..._"

"I'm leaving now," Gilbert motioned Matt to follow him as he exited the kitchen, already in uniform. He hung up and the two left the house quickly, nearly speeding the whole way there.

Gilbert pulled over to the side of the bridge where-oh damnit they sent a rookie. Gilbert and Matt quickly got out of the car and out to the freezing weather, and Gilbert could see the boy was wearing next to nothing; a simple t-shirt and jeans paired worth running shoes.

"What's your name?" Gilbert asked the Chinese rookie officer, who responded with, "Yao Wang."

"Well officer Wang," Gilbert brought his hands to the small of Matt and Yao's backs, "go make sure the cars stay warm. I'll talk to this young person." He pushed them to the cars and although Matt protested, Yao quickly grabbed his arm and brought him to the police car.

"Hey there," Gilbert walked up and leaned into the railing.

The teenager remained silent in the freezing cold. Gilbert sighed and took off his jacket, handing it to him, and the teen carefully took it and covered himself. This was going to be tough.

_TRIGGERING MATERIAL OVER_

* * *

><p>Matt looked out the window of Gilbert's car and noted that the wind picked up and soon there was practically a blizzard out, but Gilbert stayed with the teen. Finally, after an hour, the teen got over to safety and collapsed in Gilbert's arms, and he helped him get to the car.<p>

From there he drove the teen to the hospital, and the young Romanian man thanked him with a simple goodbye hug, crying. Gilbert asked if he wanted to visit the teen, and he nodded. Gilbert promised to see him in a few days.

"That was stressful!" Gilbert collapsed on his bed.

"I can only imagine..." Matt put on some more comfortable clothing as Gilbert asked Mathias over the phone to have the next two or three days "_actually_ off."

"Well it's 12:46," Gilbert looked at the clock, and grinned, "and that means the ceremonies should be starting soon!"

"Wopee," Matt threw his hands up dramatically and cheered in a completely fake, sour tone.

"Why do you hate the Olympics so much?"

"Personal reasons," Matt grimaced, but Gilbert simply pulled him onto the couch and turned on the television.

"Well you're going to have to show or tell me no matter what because I can't have you have an emotional breakdown during an important case, okay?"

"But you don't understand!" Matt tried to stand up angrily, but was pulled down by Gilbert almost instantly, who forced him to look into his eyes as he spoke to him.

"I _need_ to understand, Matt," Gilbert narrowed his eyes, "I do _not_ give a_ shit_ if you need to cry and scream or drink or do drugs as long as I need to know what exactly went wrong in your past, okay?"

"But—"

"Is that understood?"

"… Yes."

"Good," Gilbert released Matt's arm and sank back into the couch. Matt had never seen Gilbert so tense and angry… It almost frightened him. He knew he had no choice, at this point. He had to tell him.

After the incredible starting ceremony, the two printed off the program online and mutually agreed to binge on the Olympics—because who doesn't love them?

"Luddy!" Gilbert yelled from the bottom of his staircase, and Ludwig opened the door, annoyed.

"What do you want?"

"Can you make us popcorn?"

"_No_," Ludwig said sternly, for the 17th time, and slammed the door.

"I have no idea how he puts up with you," Matt rolled his eyes and Gilbert huffed, sitting down on the couch, and shot back with, "well you put up with my for 6 months."

"True," Matt chuckled, which surprised both Matt and Gilbert.

"Whoa!" Gilbert looked at him in awe, and Matt smacked him with an "Oh shut up."

"Sweet! Look at the Germans!" Gilbert suddenly pointed to the screen. The ceremony had begun and now they were filing in with the German's leading. "They look so awesome! Look at the jackets—whoa and there's Canada!"

Matt had to admit, the Canadians looked pretty good this year, wearing all red with white maple leaves all on their jackets and such. When the Americans came in, Gilbert commented on how great they were too, but Matt looked away. He excused himself to the bathroom when the Ukrainians walked in.

* * *

><p>At 23:30 that night, Gilbert and Matt stayed up to watch the amazing figure skating, which Gilbert had waited so long for. They had spent the whole day watching skiing and snowboarding (Lars came over to watch the Dutch beat everybody in the long track speed skating but left after lunch) but finally, their time had come.<p>

"_And now welcoming the Canadian_—" the announcer began, and Matt once again excused himself to the washroom, which he'd been doing all day whenever a Ukrainian or Canadian showed up.

"Oh come on!" Gilbert protested, but he let Matt go to the bathroom. Pouting to himself, he turned his attention to the television, where the announcer was finishing his sentence, "—_nes_."

"Damnit," Gilbert muttered. He didn't catch the name. _Whatever_.

The lean figure skater began with a dramatic pose, his brilliant blue costume shimmering under the lights. _Legend of Zelda: Suite_ by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Andrew Skeet began playing (an odd choice), and the figure skater began an impressive routine.

Gilbert blinked and all of a sudden, the figure skater was in the air, and completed a successful four-axel rotation! The people in the stands gave the man a standing applause, but he wasn't even done.

"Matt hurry!" Gilbert called excitedly, and Matt quickly rushed out, a tight smile on his face.

"You missed an amazing four-axel—" as Gilbert was finishing his sentence, the figure skater completed a series of incredibly difficult turns, which left Gilbert in awe.

Once the figure completed his routine, the entire audience gave him a standing applause. He'd won gold last year in nearly all his categories, but Gilbert couldn't quite remember his name. The scene cut to a quick commercial, and then almost immediately an interview with the figure skater.

"That's enough," Matt reached for the remote, but Gilbert pulled Matt roughly back down to the couch and hid the remote, forcing Matt to watch the screen.

"_I'd like to present to the world the incredible Canadian figure skater Alfred F. Jones!_"

"_Thank you,_" the familiar-looking man on the screen laughed, and Gilbert narrowed his eyes suspiciously, casually turning to Matt. Matt's face was all scrunched up weirdly. Gilbert looked away.

"_How do you feel about these Olympics?_" The interviewer asked Alfred, and in the background, a trainer handed the young prodigy a towel and a pair of glasses.

"_I feel great! I really owe it to my parents for helping me get to the skating rinks early in the mornings._"

"_Are the rumours true? Do you really have a brother?_" Gilbert looked wide-eyed as Alfred put on a pair of glasses.

"Get your glasses Matt," Gilbert hissed, staring at the screen, and Matt quickly handed them to him reluctantly, and Gilbert sat Matt down on the couch again roughly.

"_Yeah, I have a twin. Mattie, if you're watching… I don't know. Give me a call?_"

Gilbert put Matt's glasses roughly on Matt's face as the interviewer asked a few more questions, and Gilbert held Matt's face and looked between Matt and Alfred on the screen. His already-pale face only whitened more.

"… Matt?"

"He's my brother," Matt muttered, taking the glasses off, "Alfred F. Jones."

"I thought you said he died—"

"He's dead," Matt said, "dead to _me._"

With that Matt got up, told a shocked Gilbert to leave him alone, and got under his covers, loud music blaring through his earphones.

_What the fuck? What the actual fuck?_ Gilbert was so confused, and was simply _burning_ with questions. He turned the television off and retired to his bed, hearing Matt sobbing quietly. This was _really_ not the time to ask Matt questions… _Argh_!

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>I'm so sorry it's short! I don't have much time to write right now, and I don't have the heart to put it on hiatus.<p>

**BUT SURPRISE WHEN CHRISTMAS BREAK ROLLS AROUND (STARTING DEC 20th 2014) I WILL BE UPDATING NOT ONLY ON SUNDAYS/THURSDAYS BUT MAYBE AT RANDOM BETWEEN THOSE DAYS! ON CHRISTMAS, I MAY DO A DOUBLE UPLOAD, OR TRIPLE DEPENDING IF I FINISHED ENOUGH CHAPTERS OR NOT. CHECK YOUR EMAILS FOLKS!**

As for the suicide bit, I just wanted to show that a) Gilbert can handle this stuff/is good with teens and b) cops do deal with this a lot... I just wanted a little bit. For those who had to skip it, Romania wanted to die and Gilbert helped him get away from his dangerous situation.

WOAH ALFRED? FINAL FACE MEMBER HEARD/SEEN. Yay!

By the way the amazing reviews like "I can't wait to see more!" "What an awesome piece of writing!" really make my day. I love the ones who do that.

~Awesome Maple


	16. Chapter 16

ARE YOU READY? I'M READY!

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia, which is a good thing, or else there would be so much fan service it would be ridiculous.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

_Cautiously walking up the steps, he heard sounds of… pleasure? He frowned. Opening the door, he saw the worst sight he'd ever seen in his life. Ever. _

_He wanted to bleach his brain and eyes. _

_He saw his wife bent over their desk, a man ramming into her, and both emitted sounds of extreme pleasure. _

_"OSTI TABARNACLE!" Matthew exclaimed loudly. Immediately they both turned and Matthew gave Katyu—no, Yekaterina—the deadliest glare she'd ever seen on her husband's face. _

_"Get out of my house," he growled lowly and darkly. _

_"Mattie I can—"_

_"GET OUT. NOW." Matthew yelled. And then he saw the man's face. What the..._

_"Alfred?" Matthew choked. Alfred simply pulled out of his wife. Shame was written all over his face. His own brother, his twin, was screwing his wife. _

_"Get out. Now."_

_The two ducked past Matthew, throwing on nightgowns as he began sobbing, crumpling to the floor as he heard the front door slam._

* * *

><p>Gilbert was jerked awake from his uneasy sleep by a scream. He looked around in confusion only to hear another cry, emitting from where Matt was.<p>

Gilbert quickly got out of bed, tripping on his sheets on the way there to get to Matt, cursing as he picked himself up, his mind still hazy from sleep.

"Matt? Are you okay? Matt?" Gilbert rolled Matt to face him, and Matt grabbed his hand so violently Gilbert cursed as he felt his knuckles fracture under the death grip.

"DON'T TOUCH ME," he screamed, and Gilbert pried his fractured hand free, grabbing Matt's hands and locking them under his arm so that he couldn't hurt Gilbert anymore. Unfortunately, Matt managed to kick Gilbert incredibly hard, and he knew he'd have to get his leg checked out.

Matt started hyperventilating, and Gilbert once again came down on Matt to try and hush him. Thank God the walls were soundproof, because he did _not_ need to deal with a panicked Ludwig or Feli.

"Matt," Gilbert whispered, "Matt it's me, it's Gilbert."

Matt slowly stopped thrashing as he bawled and clung to Gilbert's white pyjama top. With great difficulty, Gilbert managed to pick Matt up and placed him on his own bed, and he held Matt in his arms as Matt calmed down. They both slowly released their grip on each other, and Matt looked into Gilbert's eyes.

"I'm sorry," Matt whispered, but Gilbert hushed him and told him to sleep after handing him a Kleenex and letting him blow his nose.

"It's okay, Matt," Gilbert dared stroke Matt's long hair with his uninjured hand, as Matt's eyes began to droop, "Gilbert's here, Gilbert's got you."

* * *

><p>Matt woke up next to a warm body, and he sighed in content. He hadn't woken to a warm body in such a long time…<p>

_Wait what?_ Matt tried to roll sit up, but he had to content himself with looking up as best he can, mainly because the pale person holding him had him in goddamn _death grip_. Matt relaxed as he realized it was just Gilbert, then tensed up again as he realized that it was _Gilbert._

_I'm cuddling with Gilbert? What the fuck?_

"Hmm…" Gilbert murmured and held Matt tighter as Matt struggled to leave. Matt gave up a few seconds later, and opted to check out his host instead.

_Okay_, he admitted to himself, _accept you're bisexual. Gilbert's not that bad looking! Just… Take the chance now. Fuck it._

Matt slowly lifted his eyes to check Gilbert out as fully as possible, starting with the farthest down he could see. Which wasn't much, as Gilbert was under the covers and he was squished close enough to Gilbert that he couldn't quite look down. _Okay, let's try a little higher_, Matt trailed his eyes upwards to rest on Gilbert's hipbone.

It was rather angular, but Matt could tell, from this angle, that Gilbert had a pretty big butt for a guy despite having bony hips. Plus he may or may not have seen Gilbert's ass when he was working out.

_What's that?_ Matt strained to see the tattoo partially hidden by his boxers, and could tell there was something yellow but not much other than that. He shrugged mentally then… _Wait a second. Speaking of boxers…_

Matt took a long glance down and tried to estimate his size. He knew off the top of his head that the global average was five and a half inches, and that Germans stood at around five point seven inches... Sure enough, that bulge looked around the German average. Because he didn't, you know, watch certain videos during his free time.

Embarrassed, Matt looked upwards to see Gilbert's chest (unfortunately) covered by a shirt. But he knew, off the top of his head, that he had a nice layer of small chub—while Gilbert was pretty impressive, sexy doesn't mean chiselled with no body fat. Gilbert looked normal. He looked good.

He looked up to Gilbert's face, letting his eyes wander lazily from his strong jaw to his nose to his eyes… Which were _open._

"Like what you see?" Gilbert winked and Matt pushed on Gilbert's chest to get away, but Gilbert held on tighter.

"Nope you're my cuddly bear," Gilbert hugged Matt closer, and Matt enjoyed the moment for a split second, before pushing him away strong enough that he fell off the bed.

"Fuck! Ouch, was that really necessary?" Gilbert cursed, and he stood up from the floor, and inspected his hand.

"Shit did I throw you down that hard?" Matt scrambled and gently grabbed Gilbert's hand, immediately recognizing the telltale signs of fractured knuckles. His leg had an ugly bruise too.

"Ah," Gilbert laughed awkwardly, trying to retract his hand, "this is actually from last night…"

"Last night—" Matt was confused for a second, then reddened as he realized what he meant, "Um…"

"Fix my hand, look at my leg and then you will explain what happened."

"Okay…"

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Gilbert had a pack of ice on his hand and one on his leg, and they were sitting on the couch facing each other. Gilbert had grabbed some breakfast, exactly one bottle of beer and looked at Matt expectantly.<p>

"Well?"

"I don't…" Matt trailed off, ashamed.

"Start with when you married Ekaterina."

"Ok…"

Matt told him the whole story. He told him how he met Ekaterina when he was first started out in high school, and married her as soon as they started their first year of university. His parents and Al didn't really understand or _truly_ support it, but they let him go on anyways.

What a stupid mistake.

Within a single year of their marriage, they were cheating behind each other's backs, but kept reconciling over some alcohol. They would always yell and both weren't finding jobs. They kept blaming it on one another, despite the fact that most the things they argued over weren't in their control.

It all came crashing down on Matt when he caught his wife and Alfred—his twin brother, his best friend—having sex. This was the nightmare that plagued him at night. That very same week, Matt filed a divorce against Ekaterina (which she happily agreed to), and he left Canada once and for all, with a single goodbye to his parents over the phone thirty minutes before his plane was going to leave.

"That's it," Matt said, "I have never spoken to Alfred again and I never will. What he did was unforgivable. Yes, I only sort of loved Ekaterina, but still doesn't justify what she—no, _they_—did."

Gilbert was silent for a long time and made a grab for the beer, handing it to Matt. He accepted it gratefully. It unnerved Matt that Gilbert was so quiet, and that he was staring at Matt. He was simply looking at Matt while he drank his beer.

"Are you going to say something?" Matt asked after about thirty minutes.

"Well," Gilbert _finally_ looked away, "I don't know what to say. That's a lot of shit you went through."

"Yeah…" Matt trailed off, and Gilbert pulled him into his side, and gave him a one-armed awkward man hug, muttering a quick "no homo."

"Have you ever thought about calling him?"

"I'm never talking to him again."

"Why don't you try? He_ is_ you brother after all."

"_No._"

"Matt," Gilbert let go of Matt and looked at him in the eyes, "I really think you should try talking to him."

"But it's so _hard._"

"I know, but—"

"How about you tell me about _your_ relationships Gilbert?" Matt looked at him, trying to move away from the tense situation for at least a little bit. Plus, it's not like Gilbert went through anything serious. He hoped Gilbert would tell him a funny story to diffuse the knife-edge atmosphere.

"Hmm…" Gilbert looked at nothing as he rested his other arm on the couch arm, then turned to Matt, "I've never been in a serious relationship. Like, ever. People can't take me seriously and I've come to terms that I'll probably die alone. Not everybody gets a happy ending, after all. I'm just going to be another straggler."

"Huh…"

"Well…" Gilbert looked down, "I _was_ forced into a relationship once, with this Russian girl called Anya. She's also a figure skater, gold medallist at the Olympics too."

"Why were you forced into the relationship?"

"She…" Gilbert cringed, "She threatened to kill Ludwig."

"No way!" Matt sat up quickly and looked at Gilbert incredulously, "How'd you get out?"

"Well she got bored of me," Gilbert shrugged, "so she left me. Other than that, no other relationships."

"Wow…" Matt blinked. So Gilbert had a shitty past too. He figured that Gilbert got all the ladies because of his good looks and outgoing personality… Well he was wrong about that.

They stayed in silence for an hour or so. But it wasn't awkward at all.

_Why do people always think silence is something to be filled?_ The two thought simultaneously, cracking open two more beers, watching each other, and eventually winding down from the emotional stress by reading a book or playing on their iPods.

When Ludwig called them up, Gilbert thanked Matt for telling him and then sprinting up the wooden steps, each step creaking under his weight.

_Huh._

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>PLEASE READ <strong>BOLDED<strong> QUESTIONS & ANSWER. (There are others, but those aren't important.)

Holy sh*t omg! To some of you it's a huge plot twist but to the others you're probably expecting it. **Let me know if you had already put the puzzle pieces together, or if this was a huge surprise!**

So Gilbert had a bad past too... With a woman named "Anya" (AKA Fem!Russia). This means we've met all the Axis and Allies (well not met in person). We've met Fem!Italy, Fem!Japan and Germany. As for the Allies we've met China (briefly)... And that's it. We've heard of Fem!Russia, Fem!England, France and America. We have the whole FACE family, but haven't met three in person.

Random headcanon: China ia asexual. Just thought I'd throw it out there.

So from here I feel like the fic will only go downhill, even though I have some stuff planned. Let me know what you think! **Is the pace okay?** I was kind of speedwriting because I have so much work.

So much angst and drama and fluff and man I love fluff so much! I feel like there's fluff overload so I'll get them out of it. But they're closer...

BIG REVEAL: **MATT IS BISEXUAL!** Everybody-is-gay-hot-17-and-in-highschool fics are so overused! (My best friend likes this for this reason, because they're not gay, hot, 17 or in highschool). So basically Gilbert looks normal, they're all almost thirty and there's some queer representation! (Also Gilbert has a big butt and that made me happy because not everybody is stick-thin or super slim. Also guys can have big butts. So big-butted male-identified individuals, voilà!) I don't see enough bisexual characters in books, and that annoyed me, so I made our dearest Matt bi! **How do you guys feel about that?**

What do you think Gilbert's tattoo is?

"_"It's okay, Matt, [...] Gilbert's here, Gilbert's got you."_" Did you understand this reference? It's from my absolute favourite movie of all time. Like seriously nothing matches this movie. Tell me if you got it!

~Awesome Maple

P.S. Sorry for the short chapter.


	17. Chapter 17

Woohoo! Dedicating this chapter to Cynthia-Chan1449 for reblogging literally like half my posts on Tumblr, but also being the one that made me the happiest when I saw Cythia-Chan1449's reviews.

The thing Gilbert said was a reference to _Finding Nemo_, my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME. "It's okay, daddy's here, daddy's got you." -When Marlin was holding Nemo's egg, so I made it "It's okay, Gilbert's here, Gilbert's got you." (Ok it sounds weird but whatever it's my fave movie so I thought a cute reference would be inserted in there.)

~Awesome Maple

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

A few days later, once they were off their break, they were just waking up at 5:00 AM when Gilbert's pager went off. He dialled Mathias' office number immediately.

"_We've got a case in the suburbs, a homicide, as usual. I faxed the address already,_" Gilbert thanked Mathias and hung up, hurrying to comb his hair back. Matt was already upstairs and had grabbed their breakfast once Gilbert grabbed the printout.

The two got into the freezing car and Gilbert's engine sputtered and died.

"Crap!" Gilbert tried again, and it wheezed before finally starting, and he mumbled, "I really need a new car."

"Eat," Matt shoved the food into Gilbert's good hand harshly. After that skirmish and dramatic episode involving Matt's wife and his brother a few days earlier, Matt had reverted back to his cold self.

But at this point, Matt couldn't really call Gilbert a simple acquaintance, and he'd told Lars everything over the phone when Gilbert, Ludwig and Feliciana had gone to buy the groceries, trusting Matt with the task to clean up the ground floor. Lars eventually convinced Matt that Gilbert was a friend at this point, and he told him to treat Gilbert as such. Plus, the day after that, the two had visited the Romanian boy, and Matt had been entrusted to talk to him—a huge responsibility by Gilbert. That's a lot of trust.

They arrived at the scene of crime quickly, as it was only twelve minutes away. There was only one police car at this point, but there was tape and one ambulance already around the perimeters of the house. They both cursed as the snow got into their shoes, and they approached Romano jogging.

"What's the situation up to this point, Vargas?"

"A sixteen year-old boy and two dead fucking parents. There's a huge ass knife right by the couch in the basement. The kid's waiting for you."

"Got it," Gilbert mock-saluted both Romano and Isabella who returned to the safety of their warm cars as they waited for other officers who might be needed to show up. Romano was back to his old nasty self.

Matt and Gilbert made their way to the house and the sixteen year-old opened the door and ushered them inside. It was plainly obvious that he had cried. He led them to the kitchen quietly and offered a coffee, which surprised them.

"I figured you'd want something, plus I don't know what to do…" The boy's lip quivered.

"Do you want to show us what happened or do you prefer telling us before?"

"I—" the boy erupted into crying, and Gilbert suggested that Matt listen to the story while Gilbert went around to the basement to investigate what happened, and the boy agreed. Matt gave Gilbert a glare before turning to the teen, inspecting his cut as well.

Gilbert started with the top floor as opposed to the basement, his trusty notebook in his hand, his good hand ready to take sloppy notes. Matt had fractured the knuckles in his left hand, which was good since he drove stick and had to do gear changes with his right. It sucked because he was left-handed.

Gilbert saw signs of struggle in the boy's room, some blood on the floor, some scratches on the door but other than that, nothing else. He looked around in other rooms but found nothing.

_He was definitely attacked in his room._

Gilbert moved onto the ground floor, but found nothing, except for a missing kitchen knife. When he glanced at Matt and the boy on the couch, he found Matt to be listening intently and writing down in detail what the boy was saying.

He then moved onto the basement, where he found the real problem.

_Poor kid…_ Gilbert sighed as he took in the scene in front of him. The mother was on the couch facedown with multiple stab marks on her back. Gilbert took some pictures. Next was the father, hanging in the closet, and a knife by his feet. He'd most likely dropped it after he'd hung himself. He took more pictures.

Gilbert sauntered up the steps, and he already knew what had happened—it was clear as day for him. The father attacked the boy, and then went down to kill the boy's mother.

"I'm done," Gilbert informed the two who were sitting on the green sofa.

"So are we," the boy stood up and Gilbert accompanied him to Romano and Isabella, who brought him to the hospital for further inspection on trauma, as well as notifying his older siblings of what had happened.

* * *

><p>"Hey Mathias!" Gilbert said cheerfully as he entered his office.<p>

"Hi officer! How was it?"

"Super simple. Now we have to make sure Matt and my results match up. Matt—could you put our stuff in my office?" Matt complied to Gilbert's question before Gilbert leaned on Mathias' high-edged desk, "Anyways, how are you and Lukas?"

"That's personal…" Mathias reddened, and Gilbert winked.

"Hmm what's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't tell him anything!" Lukas emerged from his office, red in the face, "Or else…" Lukas began to threaten his boyfriend.

"Fine, fine!" Gilbert held his hands up and chuckled, heading to his office and added, "Don't kill my secretary! We'll have the results for you to analyze by tonight."

Gilbert closed the door behind him. Matt had already laid out all the evidence (photographs, notes, the recorder) on Gilbert's desk, and was busy printing out their family history, highlighting certain facts on the pages.

Gilbert sat down in his normal seat and watched Matt curiously as his guest laid everything out for them to analyze.

"Okay," Matt placed the recorder and his notes in front of Gilbert, "I recorded him talking and took notes. Here. Listen to them."

Gilbert listened to the boy's voice and read Matt's detailed notes. After only three or so cases, his note taking had improved dramatically. Gilbert's notes matched up too. However, there was one single flaw.

"Did the father attack his son first or the mother first?" Matt wondered aloud, mirroring Gilbert's thinking.

"I think he attacked the mother first," Matt continued once Gilbert didn't reply immediately, "the mother would have warned him or screamed or something, and he would have heard it, right?"

"Hmm… maybe," Gilbert was getting somewhat distracted, but then snapped back to the present, "but he said he came out of his house when it was quiet. That means there was probably a commotion downstairs. Or his mother had no idea what was coming."

"Oh," Matt was stumped. He hadn't thought about that. He leaned over, straining to see their notes, the wood creaking under his body's weight, "what does your gut say?"

"Dad attacked the son, then killed the mother."

"Well…" Matt brushed a stray curl away, "It makes sense."

"Then... I guess we're done here for today," Gilbert grabbed all their papers and stuck them in a big folder and then handed them to Lukas on the way out.

"Hold up officer," Mathias stopped Gilbert, "we've got another call. Do you feel like it?"

"Since when do I get an option?" He asked playfully, rolling his eyes and leaning against the doorframe, twirling his hat in his hand.

Mathias turned to Matt, "Do _you_ feel up to it?"

Matt looked at Gilbert for help, but Gilbert merely shrugged. "Sure…?"

"Great!" Mathias exclaimed and printed off some papers, "Downtown in an engineering university there's been a shooting."

Gilbert's face whitened, and he grabbed Matt's arm for support, "Whose been shot?"

"Some women…" Mathias looked at Gilbert warily, handing him the papers, which Gilbert snatched, reading them quickly.

"Crap," Gilbert breathed, staring at the paper, and his hand began trembling. He composed himself and looked up, "we're going," Gilbert grabbed Matt and began dragging him outside.

* * *

><p>"What? Why are you freaking out?" Matt asked once they were in the car.<p>

"I have a few friends," Gilbert made a sharp turn to the left out of the parking lot, "from the three Baltic countries and they're studying to become engineers. There's been a mass shooting at the university and—shit!" Gilbert stopped abruptly at a red light. He muttered a "fuck it" and hit the gas as fast he could, going through that intersection faster than any vehicle Matt had ever seen go through an intersection.

A cop car soon came up behind them and he flashed his cop badge, and the cop car left him alone just as soon as they arrived to the front of the university.

Gilbert hastily parked it and ran out to look for his friends. There were students of all nationalities holding onto each other and crying, making way for Gilbert to pass through while dragging Matt behind him.

"Has anybody seen Lithuanian Tori Lorinaitis?" Gilbert shouted, "Has anybody seen a Latvian student named Aija Ganins? Or an Estonian named Armas Von Brock?"

"Yes! Here, officer!" A young man tugged on Gilbert's sleeve and he followed him—to the ambulances.

"Tori?" Gilbert whispered as he approached a young woman lying on a stretcher. She was bleeding profusely from her stomach. She coughed a dry cough and he grabbed her hand. Using his acquired paramedic logic, he could tell she might be able to live if she was brought to the hospital immediately. Almost immediately after this deduction, a paramedic told him to let go and she was put in the ambulance.

"Where's Aija?" Gilbert asked before she disappeared from sight, but he couldn't see or hear any reply or gesture that could indicate the Latvian's status.

"Aija? Armas?"

"Gilbert!" Gilbert whirled around at the sound of a familiar voice, and was flooded with relief.

"Aija!" Gilbert held the small woman tightly, "God I was so worried."

"What about Tori? I haven't been able to find her…"

"She's been taken to the hospital. She'll be fine," Gilbert looked at her directly in the eyes before squeezing her tightly again. He pulled away and asked about Armas.

"Armas…" Aija looked down and shook her head slowly; "A new soul has been welcomed into Estonian heaven."

Gilbert looked deflated, and swayed a little bit, but Matt caught him and steadied him.

"Gilbert," Matt said quietly into his ear amidst all the commotion, "Gilbert we have to go inside and see what happened," and Gilbert took a deep breath, nodding.

"I have to go, Aija," Gilbert held her shoulders, "Tori should be fine. Try to call me later, okay?"

The brave woman nodded and went in search for any friends she might have, and Gilbert squared his shoulders as he pushed through the crowd to get inside the building.

* * *

><p>Gilbert felt utterly destroyed inside. When he was in the forced relationship with Anya, those three younger women were forced as servants or something—he never understood their relationship to Anya and they didn't want to talk about it—but they became good friends while living together. Eventually Gilbert broke off from Anya and they did as well around the same time. Over the years, during their stay with the Russian, they had bonded and later became good friends and maintained contact all these years.<p>

The three women were inseparable… And now with one out of the equation, Gilbert knew he had to try to be there for the other two. Well, provided that Tori lived. Gilbert shook his head and he followed Matt through the university and to the upstairs classrooms. He took a deep breath and entered the door that was crowded with officers and paramedics.

In the room, there was blood everywhere on the floor, creating a sickening stench. With difficulty, Gilbert managed to look at the bodies on the floor, immediately recognizing his friend, whom he rushed over to.

"Armas…" Gilbert looked down on the Estonian friend and had to try to examine the evidence without emotionally breaking down. He'd never had to look at the dead body of a friend and had to analyze how she'd died. After about thirty seconds of trying to think analytically, he simply... Gave up.

Armas' eyes were still open, staring blankly upwards—a sight Gilbert was used to, but with strangers. He glanced around quickly to make sure nobody was watching and closed her eyes. He knew he wasn't supposed to do this, he knew it was practically illegal—the first thing he learned was to never tamper the evidence—but he did it anyways.

"She was shot first," Gilbert concluded by simply looking at the scene around him. He could tell because of her body's placement and a few other factors Gilbert didn't want to think about at the moment. He turned to Matt and he left the scene. He wasn't able to do it. When somebody asked him where he was going, Gilbert simply told the younger officer to call over a rookie.

* * *

><p>"Ughh," Gilbert collapsed onto the bed, emotionally exhausted. He'd somehow managed to go back to the station to tell his Norwegian officer what had happened and told him he sent a rookie officer in his place.<p>

"I'm a failure," Gilbert moaned into the pillow, and when Matt tried to console him, Gilbert raised his hand and muttered a "save it, I know I'm not really but I feel bad right now because I couldn't do my job."

Then Matt's phone rang, saving Matt and Gilbert for any future awkward actions.

Picking it up without seeing the number, he too collapsed onto the bed beside Gilbert and answered.

"_Hello darling!_" Matt cringed visibly and didn't try to hide it. Over the last couple days, Matt had continued to have nightmares at random points in time and always ended up going to Gilbert. He hated it and it made him feel like a child—he also hated this because he was simply repelled by the mere _thought_ of his childhood—but he learned to deal with it and admitted to both himself and Lars that Gilbert was a pretty good comforter.

He didn't hide his cringe because he felt more comfortable around Gilbert. Speaking of Gilbert, Gilbert could feel Matt's motion or something, because he turned his head so that it was no longer facedown into his white pillow.

"Hi mom," Matt answered grumpily, "What do you need?"

"_I don't need anything! I just wanted to invite you for a family get-together! I really think you should see Alfie!_"

"Um, no thanks mom. He's called at least once a month for the last couple years now, and going to see him isn't going to magically fix what happened."

"_Come on! I miss my baby boys!_" Alice kept ranting and Matt eventually tuned her out. At this point, Alice could tell he was no longer listening because Francis took over.

"_Bonjour—_"

"Nope, not happening papa."

"_Why not?_"

"I'm busy!" Matt cried, and Gilbert leaned over and asked, "Are your parents homophobic?" And Matt reluctantly nodded. They were a little bit, but not really. He'd never really asked them.

"_With what?_"

"_Um—_" before Matt could reply, Gilbert grabbed the phone.

"Hello, this is Gilbert!"

"_Who is this?_"

"That's not important. What are you inviting Matt to?"

"_A family get-together…_"

"Oh my, we'd love to go!" Gilbert said enthusiastically, and Matt didn't even try to take the phone back. He wanted to see what Gilbert was cooking up in his mind.

"_Finally somebody we can reason with! Wait—we?_"

"Yeah, I should probably go with Matt for support, right?"

"_Hmm…_" Francis murmured, and muttered a bit on the other line, presumably with Alice, before agreeing.

"Great!"

"_But… Who are you exactly? How do you know Matthew?_"

"Oh," Gilbert said with mock surprise, "I forgot to properly introduce myself! My name is Gilbert Beildschmidt, I'm Matt's boyfriend!"

"_Boyfriend as in…?_" Matt stared at Gilbert, unsure as to where this was going at this point. Gilbert winked.

"As in romantic interest! Matt is bisexual, didn't you know? He just happened to take an interest in men lately…"

"_Oh… Oh dear…_" Alice had taken over the phone at this point—the couple had been switching back and forth, trying to gain dominance over the other to talk to Gilbert—and she continued, "_We'll have to call back, um, Gilbert, about that family get-together._" Gilbert hung up the phone.

"What the _fuck_ did you just _do_?" Matt asked incredulously, then narrowed his eyes, "I'm not sure if I should smack you or thank you."

"I think a thank you is appropriate," Gilbert laughed, "because now you probably won't have to go!"

"How did you know about my bisexuality?" Matt brushed brightly, his face matching his shirt (which he'd changed into when they'd first arrived home).

"What?" Gilbert was confused. He'd come up with it on the spot—he had no idea! _Okay, that's a lie,_ he thought, he did know something was up. He just never mentioned it.

"Oh—I sort of knew. Especially when I caught you looking at me the other day."

"Shut the fuck up and tell nobody," Matt hissed, and Gilbert rolled off the bed, his mood lifted. He didn't want to think about what had happened earlier at the university, and it seemed Matt somehow managed to cheer him up.

"Sure thing!" Gilbert smiled widely, and grabbed a movie off his gorgeous, gigantic collection.

"Want to watch Mrs. Doubtfire?"

"Why the _fuck_ not?" Matt threw up his hands before sitting on the sofa. Gilbert popped in the movie and sat down beside him.

He may or may not have caught Matt looking at him throughout the movie.

And Matt may or may have not caught Gilbert's stealing glances.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Both cases are based on real life events.<p>

The first is something that happened directly at a kid in my grade at school, and the second is basically a reference to the shooting at the École Polytechnique (a university in Montréal, QUE, Canada) on December 6th 1989. It's anniversary passed last week, and I decided that the pair should get a case this chapter so... Yeah. Read up on it. It's very tragic, though.

The Baltics have been introduced! Unfortunately. My best friend pointed out that I didn't introduce the Balitcs, so I just decided "yolo imma do this" and now one is dead. I mean, I wanted to introduce them, but also wanted to link it to the massacre in 1989... Then I remembered the whole Baltic-Russia-Prussia thing. I _am_ making historical (and show) references!

Man, Gilbert killed me in that last bit! Boom. And oh lala stealing glances at each other? Matt sleeping with Gil because of his nightmares? Potentially homophobic parents? DRAMA. (I decided this was not an adventure story like I'd hoped it would be, so I moved it to drama.)

Idk what to do rn. It's 20:45ish and I have so much stuff to do. But I wanted to get this over with. Yeah!

~Awesome Maple

P.S. I have planned the whole book + it's sequel. Yay?


	18. Chapter 18

FUNFACT: I play piano and today I am playing Toccatina, Op. 95, No. 12 by Takács, as well as the Finding Nemo (Main Theme) arranged by Sebastian Wolff. They're so much fun to play!

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine to own.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

"_Hey Gilbert…_"

"Yeah?"

"_Tori died and… I'm going back home._"

"You're—wait—what?"

"_I have to leave Gilbert. Tori's dead. I can't stay in America anymore. I have to go back to Latvia. I'm so sorry…_"

"No, I—I get it. It's okay. I guess you're in the airport, aren't you?"

"_How'd you know?_"

"Well, you know me, you know how I know things. Plus I can hear the commotion in the background."

"_True…_"

"What did they do with Tori and Armas' bodies?"

"_They were sent home somehow. I'm not sure. But there certainly not hom—I mean, where you are._"

"… I'll miss you Aija. Good luck at home."

"_You too Gilbert. Take care… I'm so sorry I can't say good bye face-to-face…_"

"Don't worry about that. I understand."

"_Well… Thanks Gilbert. I have to go, my flight…_"

"Bye Aija."

"_Bye Gilbert._"

Gilbert let the phone clatter to the hardwood ground and he looked over at his clock—18:12. He was exhausted.

The irregular schedule was taking a toll on him at a total of so far six weeks back on the job. Damn. He was used to it at first... Maybe it was just the hype of being back that made him _feel_ like he'd adapted. This emotional tug seemed to drag him further into exhaustion.

Matt was faring terribly. He was currently looking bored as fuck as he hung off his bed, upside down, while reading a book. Dark circles under his eyes showed that he was incredibly tired, but he didn't let it show in his actions. His hair was getting past shoulder length and Gilbert thought about getting Matt to go get a haircut.

When he heard the phone fall, he twisted like a cat into a respectable position before inquiring what was wrong.

"Aija left," Gilbert sighed. Matt contemplated walking over to Gilbert and patting his hand and comforting him, but decided that he was far too lazy and would probably make things worse.

Silence.

"... Can I have a hug?" Gilbert eventually asked, looking as though he was going to cry. Two of his best friends were dead, now one had left. He literally only had Romano (but he was busy with Isabella), Ludwig (but he was always with Feli)… That's it. _Wow, I really am alone,_ Gilbert thought depressingly. Matt then engulfed him in a very _not_ gay, very awkward, very _manly_ bro-hug. He was released quickly.

"Thanks," Gilbert trailed off, and Matt nodded, lying down on Gilbert's bed.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Matt asked, and Gilbert confirmed that yes, he would enjoy an evening walk.

* * *

><p>They shivered outside and Gilbert wondered why he thought this was a good idea. Matt, on the other end, loved the cold.<p>

"Life can go suck a dick," Gilbert childishly kicked a piece of ice out of his way.

"Yeah..." Matt tried to converse, but he was so shitty at it. He looked up at the dark sky that was positively shimmering with the stars.

"I mean," Gilbert decided to continue, "I love Feli but she's taking up all of Ludwig's time. He has, like, no more time for me it seems."

"I see..."

"How's Lars doing?" Gilbert abruptly changed the subject. Matt raised his eyebrow, but shrugged and replied.

"Lars is doing pretty well. He talked with Sakura and they're ready for a baby..." Matt paused, "Actually, they think Sakura may be expecting a child. They're not sure though."

"Why is everybody in a relationship?" Gilbert threw his hands up in frustration.

"Well I'm not," Matt shrugged, but Gilbert cut him off.

"Yeah, well you're cute! You're likely to get married by the time you turn thirty or so. Nobody wants me!" Gilbert shoved his hands in his pockets angrily. Why was he so angry and confused? Gilbert was too awesome to be in a relationship!

_Then again,_ Gilbert thought, _I can't live in Ludwig's basement forever. I'll have to move out eventually... I guess I just don't want to be alone when it happens. _

"I'm so fucking angsty, I don't know why," Gilbert sighed in frustration once Matt didn't reply. He wondered what Matt was thinking. He looked curiously at his companion to see what was up.

* * *

><p><em>Fuck. Fuck he called me cute! What's that supposed to mean? I'm not cute. Am I? Osti tabarnack! Criss calisse, Gilbert called me cute though!<em> Matt was freaking out internally, but he wasn't...

Okay, so he may have been starting to like Gilbert in a new way, but that was probably because he trusted somebody other than Lars for a change. It'll go away, Matt thought, the feeling will go away once we finish this year of job trading. Yeah. That's right. It's just a phase.

"Yo," Gilbert waved his hand in front of Matt's face, "what's up?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"Yeah, I know. What of?"

"Nothing..."

"It's about me."

"What? No!"

"Sure," Gilbert winked, and Matt cursed like a French sailor internally.

"Anyways," Gilbert sighed, "we should get back inside. Dinner is done for sure."

They walked down the block they'd been walking on—towards the convenience store they always seemed to gravitate to when they went for walks—quickly and were promptly scolded by Feliciana for being late.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Matt woke up in a panic, as usual, and Gilbert sleepily grabbed Matt and dragged him to his bed where they fell asleep for the rest of the night.<p>

Gilbert hugged his cuddly bear tightly and Matt enjoyed the attention his host was giving him.

Matt sighed happily and snuggled deeper into Gilbert.

_Maybe I shouldn't bother with my bed. Maybe this should be the default. Just start the night here._

* * *

><p>Gilbert awoke before Matt did, and couldn't help but admire Matt's angular face and clean stubble. He never really stopped marvelling at the handsomeness of his guest, but he knew it was simply appreciation for human beauty. Gilbert just enjoyed the human aesthetic, and this included the male figure. Boy did Matt have a great figure.<p>

He knew, deep down, that Matt was misinterpreting his naturally flirty actions and was beginning to see Gilbert as something more.

He couldn't let that happen.

First off, he very strictly wasn't interested in any men—only women. Secondly, it could interfere professionally. As cute as they could have been, if Gilbert ever returned Matt's feelings (in theory), he would surely be fired.

Then the phone rang and Gilbert grumbled. _What the fucking fuck is up with all these fucking phone calls? Jesus fuck. _

He recognized the caller ID as Matt's parents and promptly picked it up, awkwardly reaching over Matt (whom he was borderline spooning) to grab the phone.

"Gilbert Beildschmidt!"

"_Um... Hello. Is Matthew there?_" Ah. So he would be dealing with Francis.

"Nah, he's sleeping—he's exhausted from last night," Gilbert could barely control himself from the innuendo. He tried not to laugh. Well, for the record, Matt was pretty tired after a long day with a complex case involving a cat, an old man, a gerbil and two young couples.

"_Oh._" There was silence on the other end. The French man then asked a question Gilbert was not expecting.

"_Is mon petit Mathieu good in bed?_"

"Oh um..." _Fuck! Think, Gilbert!_ He chuckled, "Yeah, Matt's great in bed! He's really adept at the..." Gilbert raced to think of a move he'd heard or seen in a certain type of video he may or may have not seen at some point in his younger years.

"He's _really_ good at the speed bump move," Gilbert smirked. _Take that!_

"_Wonderful! As long as neither of you have sexually transmitted infections!_" Francis positively giggled on the other side of the phone, "_Well anyways, Gilbert, Alice and I have decided that it will be okay for you to tag along!_"

Gilbert was left speechless for a moment. _Shit! Two lies I have to keep track of now! _

"_Gilbert?_"

"Oh sorry! Yeah, of course! When is it?"

"_Ah... Two days._"

"Great! I'll get Matt to call later then. Bye Francis!"

"_Oh by the way, Gilbert, I strongly suggest the galloping horse. Just saying! Au revoir!_" Francis hung up.

_Fuck. I am in deep shit. _

"Gilbert?" Matt rolled over to blink lazily and look at Gilbert's incredibly guilty face.

"What did you do now?" Matt propped his head up against the pillow, his recently tweezed eyebrows furrowing together.

"Your dad called."

"And?"

"I picked up."

"_And?_"

"He told us he was okay with us coming over."

"AND?"

"I may or may not have told him we've had hot sex."

"_AND?_"

"... He gave me tips."

"What the actual flying fuck?"

"Yeah."

"Ugh!" Matt shoved his face into the pillow.

"Sorry!" Gilbert tried to redeem himself, but Matt just slapped him.

"Now what?" Matt looked up, positively furious.

"Hmm..." Gilbert thought mockingly, then deadpanned, "What if we _actually_ _go_, instead of, you know, _denying every request_?"

"NO!"

"Come on Matt, you should see them!"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"They're your family Matt! You can't just abandon them!"

"They didn't help me when I needed them!"

"That's because you left without saying anything! They had no idea what was going on—hell, they had no idea what Alfred did until Alfred admitted it! Which he was probably given hell for."

Matt became quiet. Of course they probably felt bad. But he couldn't stand the humiliation and didn't want to see Alfred.

"Just _try_ Matt."

"Fine," Matt groaned, regretting his decision, "but on one condition. You have to be there the entire time."

"Of course," Gilbert grinned and got out of bed. It was already 10:30. _Breakfast time, then boss time. _

"Let's go talk to my boss and get this day started!"

They dressed on opposite ends of the room—to which Matt shamelessly stared at Gilbert's big man-butt when his pale host was turned around for a few seconds, and they went up the steps in their cop uniforms, fully ready go to see Gilbert's boss to explain the situation.

"Hey Luddy!" Gilbert slapped the blonde's thick shoulder and his brother grunted, setting down his morning coffee and his book, _How to Understand Your Italian Girlfriend_, which Gilbert had bought as a joke a few Christmases ago. Turned out to be useful.

"Good morning," Ludwig grumbled back deeply, and Gilbert made Matt and himself some eggs with a side of orange juice and toast.

"We have something to tell you," Gilbert said casually as he cracked the eggs and Matt took a seat.

"What is it?" Ludwig sighed. Sighing or grunting apparently became a natural reflex to whatever Gilbert had to say about, well, almost everything. He'd developed the habit well into his high school years.

"Matt's parents have invited him to a family get-together and it's absolutely important that he goes."

"Are you sure Mr. Zwingli will approve?" Ludwig raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his coffee.

"Not sure," Gilbert shrugged, "which is why we're asking him today." Gilbert finished the eggs and divided them equally amongst Matt and himself.

"Good luck with that," Ludwig went back to reading his book.

They ate in silence before Ludwig excused a few seconds later to find Feli and figure out if she was done yet so they could do some shopping that morning. They were both let off from work—Feliciana taught art at the high school (she only taught the afternoon classes this semester) and Ludwig had afternoon classes.

"You ready?" Gilbert asked once they were done their food.

"Yeah," Matt handed him his empty plate from across the counter, "let's go."

* * *

><p>"Do you think he'll let me go?" Matt asked anxiously. He prayed for a no… But also for a yes—he <em>did<em> want to see his parents. He was nervous about Alfred, after all.

Alfred ended up winning gold in again, most categories for his group during the Olympics and he was probably basking in fame right now. As usual, Alfred would be the centre of attention. What was the point of him going? He would probably end up being shoved into the corners, unnoticed.

But then again… Matt had changed. He went from a shy, feminine, quiet Matthew Williams, to a loud, noticeable and very manly Matt Williams, hardened by his past. His parents would barely recognize him.

"I don't know," Gilbert shrugged as they waited in the waiting area, "Zwingli is pretty unpredictable sometimes."

"Mr. Zwingli is ready to see you, Mr. Beildschmidt and Mr. Williams," the soft-spoken woman from Liechtenstein informed them a few moments later.

"Thanks," Gilbert walked through the large doors and Matt followed.

"What do you want?" Mr. Zwingli inquired impatiently, cutting to the chase as soon as Gilbert closed the door behind him.

"Williams has an important family reunion to go to," Gilbert began politely before asking the actual question, "Can he go? I would be tagging along and we'd be in Canada for maximum…" Gilbert looked at Matt was with a raised eyebrow.

"Three days," Matt supplied the answer his partner was looking for.

"Well…" Mr. Zwingli looked out of his enormous window, "You will be on unpaid leave."

"Sounds great!" Gilbert agreed quickly, and Mr. Zwingli nodded approvingly without looking at them.

"Okay now leave," he shooed them out, and they complied.

"Got it, sir!" Gilbert and Matt backed out to the waiting area and walked to Gilbert's office.

"Mathias," Gilbert leaned on his secretary's desk, "we're going to be away for the next four days. Tomorrow we're packing and getting ready, the next three we're out in Canada and we'll be back."

"Oh," Mathias nodded, processing the information, "got it officer!"

"Great!" Gilbert straightened out his tie, "Please stay appropriate with Lukas, okay? I expect my desk to be jizz-free when I come back."

"Have a nice trip," Mathias waved them goodbye and ignored the comment, trying not to laugh as he reddened. Little did Gilbert know that as soon as he'd left the building that Lukas and Mathias got it on—on his desk, just for good measure.

* * *

><p>"Yes, cut it around… Here," Matt instructed the barber. Gilbert convinced Matt to get a haircut as soon as they'd gone home and changed into civilian clothing and was now cutting his long hair so that he looked more presentable, and Gilbert was currently on his cell phone looking up flights as he also got a haircut.<p>

"There's one at 9:00," Gilbert informed Matt, and Matt vocalized that this was a good time.

"So when we get back home today, we're booking the plane tickets, going to the gym, and ten tomorrow we're leaving at 9:00 AM," Gilbert relayed the itinerary, and Matt agreed once again.

* * *

><p>"Yes I'd like to book two plane tickets to Canada…" Gilbert balanced the phone between his shoulder and his ear as he booked the flight, taking notes on his computer.<p>

"Wonderful! I will be at the airport at that time. Is it better to book a bus ticket or a taxi…?" Gilbert frowned, scrolling on the page, and selected something, "Taxi it is! Thank you Miss!" He hung up the phone.

"We've got our plane tickets," Gilbert went over to the printer to grab their printed tickets, "you excited?"

"Not really," Matt mumbled. He'd become so anxious over the past couple hours, and Matt knew he would be a nervous wreck by the time he got to his parents' house.

"It'll be fine," Gilbert ruffled Matt's newly cut hair, and Matt's response was to slap his hand. It had gotten fixed fairly quickly, much to their relief, and Gilbert knew how to embarrass Matt now—just bring up his hand and Matt was shrieking like a banshee to shut up.

"Want to go to the gym to burn off some tense energy?" Gilbert suggested once the tickets finally printed, and Matt nodded. They packed up their stuff for the gym, bid Ludwig goodbye, and headed off.

That night, Matt didn't even bother with his bed; he just went to Gilbert without any questions asked. Gilbert didn't really mind.

And guess what?

Matt didn't have the nightmare.

In fact, he had the best sleep that he'd had in the last six years.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Boom boom motherf*ckers! More action. Man, your reviews make my day! I love it. I actually have created a folder entitled "Happiness" and move all my favourite reviews to that one. Haha.<p>

Also I had to get the Baltics out of the picture because I didn't want to keep track over any other characters lol. Well, you saw them.

There you go. I had to speed-write. AGAIN. But I _hate_ having to do double updates.

~Awesome Maple


	19. Chapter 19

I'm going into an Avengers phase I guess you could say (I tried to convince my team in history to call ourselves 'Team Loki' okay) and I showed a picture of Captain America topless to my hairdresser (when he first comes out of the whirly spinny boppy pain thing yeah that picture) and he looked at it, shrugged and cut my hair just like it... I'm so hot. I am a chubby female too. Haha.

You guys already 19 chapters... _what._ How did this happen? I probably would have abandoned the story tbh without the great comments. I was reading my email in class (oh damn I'm a baddie) and I f*cking squealed because of some messages! The person beside me never looked at me the same way again.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: Hetalia, I own not.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

Matt and Gilbert put their carrions on the overhead compartments of the small plane—it had been basically a miracle that they had been able to find a flight for Canada two days before actually leaving.

It was nice that Matt and Gilbert weren't afraid of flying… That would be both embarrassing and cliché. So they strapped themselves comfortably as they waited for the rest of the passengers to board, people of all sizes, colours and shapes pushing beside them, Matt cursing every few seconds because somebody hit him with their elbow or luggage.

"How about you tell me how you were before you left Canada?" Gilbert asked casually, "Or how was your childhood?" He might as well get some context.

"I'll tell you both," Matt made himself comfortable in his seat, "I was a pretty quiet child, always pushed into the corner by Alfred. Wait—first I should mention that Alfred and I were in an orphanage, we got separated, then when we were around five or six, I think, my parents adopted us and we were reunited. Our family is weird because we all have different last names. Alfred was adopted into a family with the last name Jones, I was with the Williams and my mom didn't want to change her name."

"Cool," Gilbert commented.

"_Ladies and gentlemen,_" the pilot suddenly went on the intercom, "_This is your captain speaking. We are going to be departing in a few minutes, so please be in your seats._"

They quieted down as the plane took off, and once they were airborne, Matt resumed his story.

"Anyways, as I was saying, I was a pretty quiet kid. Alfred has a really loud and boisterous personality—he was the one who was the hero, he was always the champion at everything and never settled for anything short of 100%. Funny, he sucked ass at school and I'm the one who did really well in high school.

Because of Alfred always being the centre of attention, I was kind of shoved into the corner, nobody listened and nobody really cared all that much. I mean, they loved me, of course, but Alfred stole their attention all the time.

As an RCMP officer, nobody noticed me, which was great. I was able to sneak up on anybody breaking the law despite being in broad daylight and full uniform. I married Yekaterina right after high school. When she cheated on me, I became a different person. My parents… Well, they probably won't recognize me," Matt finished and asked Gilbert about _his_ childhood.

"Hmm…" Gilbert scratched his chin, "I was born in Berlin and Ludwig was born in Munich a few years later. Before Ludwig was born though, my dad left for the military as a pilot and died during a test flight while my mother was waiting for Ludwig to pop out. I was probably four or three around the time… But I still remember my dad, sort of. I really remember when we used to play chess.

My mom died during childbirth from Ludwig and my grandfather and grandmother took care of us from then on. When I was probably around twelve or so, my grandmother died from a heart attack. This led to my grandfather going through a deep depression and we had to live with my aunt—she's dead too, and she was single—for a while because he wasn't able to take care of us.

A year later, so thirteen years old, I moved back to my grandfather's place and he spoiled us to the core because of how guilty he felt because he wasn't able to take care of us for a while. But we forgave him on the spot. To this day though, he still feels guilty sometimes. As a teen I was pretty chill, didn't get into fights, decent grades, good kid. Moved to America at eighteen because I was interested in a university here, and Ludwig followed a few years later, and we moved in together.

I only have my grandfather now, and Ludwig, in terms of family. Sadly, Old Fritz is, well, getting old. Ludwig and I visit him every summer but we don't think he'll still be around in the next ten years or so. Then Luddy is probably going to get married soon, which means I can't stay in the basement… Then I'll be alone," Gilbert finished.

"That sucks," Matt didn't really know how to respond. Who knew this happy-go-lucky ass had such a rough childhood?

"Oh well," Gilbert shrugged before checking his watch, "we have about an hour before we touch down so I'm going to take a quick nap, okay?"

"Same," Matt agreed, and they settled into their chairs, getting comfortable before dozing off.

* * *

><p>"Fifteen minutes," Gilbert checked his watch as the taxi they were in tried to make their way out to the countryside. Francis and Alice apparently moved from the suburbs to the countryside probably because Francis grew up on a farm in France and wanted to somewhat recreate that experience for Alice.<p>

_Fifteen minutes until I see the parents I… abandoned six years ago_, Matt thought nervously. Thankfully he had Gilbert who was cracking up jokes with their Turkish driver, which distracted him somewhat.

They bounced along a rough road as they made it out of the city, past the suburbs and into the countryside. Tall grass lined the dirt roads and big houses far in between each other appeared in the distance.

They eventually pulled up a very long winding dirt road to a gigantic house at the top of a fairly size-able hill. This was the Canada Matt knew and loved.

"Park here," Gilbert commanded the driver. They were a little bit away from the house so they weren't right at the doorstep. He wanted Matt to get a little time to collect himself.

"That'll be $20.89 Canadian," the driver said, and Gilbert handed over the money before they went around the back to grab their suitcases.

"Thanks!" Gilbert waved the taxi goodbye, and the taxi honked in return.

"What if Yekaterina's there?" Matt suddenly panicked and clutched Gilbert's arm.

"We'll get through this together," Gilbert assured him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a pair of senior heads poke through the open curtains.

"Your parents are watching," Gilbert muttered, and he saw Matt's eyes widen and his head staring to turn. Without hesitation, Gilbert grabbed Matt's head in both hands and planted a light kiss full on the lips.

Gilbert did _not _expect the feelings that came surging through him. No way in the flying fucking fuck of fucking hell did he motherfucking expect those fucking fucked up feelings he fucking felt.

It felt as though a rock had dropped in his stomach and he pulled Matt closer, pressing his lips harder, slowly running out of oxygen. He'd never had a pair of lips like those pressed against his feel so good. Never had any woman in his life ever made his heart pound like that. Never had any woman made him feel so hot and made him feel so… Amazing. He had no words to describe the feeling, really.

Reluctantly, he pulled away. _I'm definitely not straight._

"Whoa," Gilbert blinked, breathing a little heavily because of lack of air in his lungs. His cheeks were red but were cooled in the freezing Canadian winter air. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Matt's parents were still there, looking a little shocked, but not necessarily disgusted either.

"You'll be okay," Gilbert winked at a dumbfounded Matt, and gave him a little peck on the cheek just for show, looping his arm with Matt's and dragging their small suitcases up the snowy path to the Bonnefoy-Kirkland household.

Gilbert gave Matt the honour of ringing the doorbell. A few seconds later, the door opened.

* * *

><p><em>Oh my god, oh my god, Gilbert just kissed me and—oh osti'd'calisse there are my parents.<em>

"Hey mom, dad," Matt said shyly. Alice quickly rushed forwards and hugged Matt tightly in her arms.

"My little baby," she squealed, "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too mom," Matt returned the hug. They broke apart and Francis was next.

"My little Matthieu," Francis squeezed Matt, "I am so glad you're here."

"Same," Matt agreed, then mumbled, "I _guess_," as he released the hug. Francis looked in his son's eyes and put his hands on his grown son's muscular shoulders for a few moments before Alice brought attention to Gilbert.

"Oh yeah," Matt laughed sheepishly, "This is my boyfriend, Gilbert."

"Pleased to meet you," Gilbert shook hands with Matt's parents with a little nod of his head to both as he said their names, "Mr. Bonnefoy and Mrs. Kirkland."

"We're pleased to meet you too," Mrs. Kirland smiled politely, "please call us Francis and Alice." Gilbert simply nodded.

"Is Alfred here?" Matt cleared his throat awkwardly as they eased into an uncomfortable silence.

"No," Francis supplied the answer, which made Matt relax visibly, "we decided it was best that he come this evening for dinner."

"Okay," Matt nodded, exhaling slowly, "got it."

"Let's go inside!" Alice said cheerfully, opening the door wide, "It's cold out here. We'll show you to your room."

Gilbert was about to ask why it was 'room' and not 'rooms', but then he realized awkwardly that he'd told Francis that they were having butt sex and they were expected to sleep together. He blushed a little bit pink at that thought. Especially since they'd had that incredible kiss… He thought that maybe… _No, Gilbert. Bad Gilbert. Bad._

Gilbert politely took off his boots and jacket—which Francis took to put away—and they were lead to their bedroom in the basement. It was blue and furnished with dark wood and was very tidy.

"I'll let you guys settle in, then we have an hour or so before dinner and Alfred will come," Alice giggled and closed the door for them, leaving them in complete solitude and quiet.

"Which side do you want?" Matt asked casually, and Gilbert shrugged, and Matt claimed the right side of the bed.

"So about that kiss…" Matt grew red and Gilbert's face also went up in flames as he started sputtering, trying to justify his actions.

"Your parents were, you know, looking, so I thought that I should kiss you because it seemed appropriate at the time, right? I'm really sorry, I probably shouldn't have done that, I mean I didn't ask permission and I hate taking advantage of anybody—"

"It's fine, Gilbert," Matt laughed awkwardly and went over to the other side of the bed, and he looked down at his feet.

"Actually…" Matt looked up shyly like a bashful middle school child, "I kind of… Liked it."

Gilbert cleared his throat awkwardly, avoiding eye contact as Matt inched forward a bit, "Yeah, um… Me too."

"Do you mind…?"

"Oh um, what?" Gilbert tried to look anywhere but at Matt. _Stay professional, Gil, stay professional—Fuck it,_ "Yeah, sure—um—go right ahead, like, it's totally cool, yep—" Matt shut Gilbert's awkward blabbering in favour of pressing his lips against his for the second time today to experiment, now that they were alone.

Again, Gilbert was at Matt's mercy and was disarmed and freed for a few moments of all his worries. _It's pure experiment,_ Gilbert tried convincing himself and he broke away from the kiss, pushing Matt away.

"I'm sorry," Gilbert frowned, "but we can't, I mean, we're still working together..."

"Oh come on it was just a kiss!" Matt huffed.

"I know..." Gilbert said painfully. This is what sucked. So Matt was a great kisser. He'd softened up and had a pretty great personality when he didn't want to murder somebody (which was only 30% of the time these days, though it had originally started out at 90%).

"What's so wrong with us kissing? You're a really good kisser," Matt sat on the bed, "and I don't see the problem."

"But we're working together," Gilbert placed a hand on his hip, "we can't do that. It was specifically in the Rules and Regulations for the program."

"Oh come on!" Matt protested, standing back up.

"Why do you care so much about us kissing?" Gilbert took on a dominant stance, frowning.

"Why don't you care?" Matt's hands clenched.

"Why is this so important to you?"

"Give me a reason not to kiss me!"

"That doesn't change anything!"

"You have no excuse—"

"I'm not attracted to you!" Gilbert cried out.

"Well I am!" Matt exploded.

One could hear a pin drop.

"W-what?" Gilbert stuttered, stunned, his strong front collapsing from the surprise.

"It's not important," Matt tried to get past Gilbert, but he was stopped.

"You're attracted to me?" Gilbert frowned, "How?"

"I don't know!" Matt threw up his hands and tried to push past Gilbert again, but he was surprised when Gilbert pushed him onto the bed and pinned him down.

"No. Explain yourself," Gilbert commanded, and Matt struggled, but damn, Gilbert was heavy! Well, he didn't mind Gilbert being on top of him.

"I just... I couldn't help it," Matt sighed, defeated, "you're just... It's just... I can't explain." He looked anywhere but at Gilbert.

"Sure," Gilbert rolled his eyes, not convinced, "you're telling me tonight whether you like it or not." He got off Matt and pulled him up.

"... Fine."

"Well," Gilbert looked at the clock mounted on the wall. They'd only been there for twenty minutes or so. "We should go to your parents."

"Yeah..." Matt agreed.

"Come on!" Gilbert grabbed Matt's arm and dragged him up the stairs. When he got to the top, he didn't really know what to do.

"Mom? Dad?" Matt called out into the enormous house. There was a faint call to what Matt and Gilbert assumed to be the left end of the house, and they walked a little ways before ending up in the living room.

"Come sit down," Alice gestured to the couch in front of the one her and her husband were sitting in, and offered them tea. They both accepted the beverage gratefully.

"So Mattie," Alice began once the four had settled down, a fire crackling in their fireplace, "what have you been up to in the USA?"

"I'm a paramedic," Matt told her plainly. Francis gestured with his hand to elaborate.

"I work in a really small town and I'm a pretty good paramedic. I live alone in an apartment nearby and Kumajirou's doing really well," Matt continued, brushing back a stray lock of flaxen hair that was remarkably similar to his father's despite the fact that they were not related genetically, "and I met a great guy named Lars. We've been friends since I moved to the U.S."

"That sounds wonderful," Alice clapped her hands together, and Francis was next.

"How did you meet Gilbert over here?" Francis inquired, and Matt took his fake boyfriend's hand lovingly.

"We met on the job," Matt said sweetly, "he's a cop." Gilbert swore he heard a breathed "kinky" from Francis' direction.

"How long have you been together for?"

"August will mark the one year mark!" Matt squeezed Gilbert's hand. _Smart little piece of shit: twisting the words that way._

"So," Alice took over, "have you moved in together?"

"No," Gilbert answered this time, "but we alternate houses. I live in my brother's basement currently."

"Oh Matt," Alice cooed, "you have such a good taste in men! He's so polite and sweet!" Gilbert blushed at the compliments.

"Oh ma'am," Gilbert said bashfully, "that's too nice."

"Call me Alice!"

"When did you guys move here?" Matt interrupted to break an inevitable silence that would surely follow.

"A month or so after you left," Francis looked at his wife for confirmation, and she nodded.

"Where's Alfred?"

"Oh," Alice tensed a bit at Matt's question, as Alfred was a rather touchy subject, "he's moved out last month with his girlfriend."

"He has a girlfriend?"

"Yeah she's r—"

"I'M HOME!" The door opened with a bang from somewhere in the house, and the man that Matt loathed waltzed in casually, and stopped dead in his tracks. The man that stole his wife. The man that broke his heart and made him leave the country he loved more that anything in the world. That man was standing at the doorframe.

"Mattie?" Alfred breathed.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Yo. Yooo. YOOO. <em>YOOO. YOOOOOOOOO! ALFRED IS HERE. <em>

Wow so we finally see the asshole that hurt Matt so badly. And jfc ROMANCE IS ADVANCING. I REPEAT. THE ROMANCE IS ADVANCING AT AN ALARMING SPEED. Pru2pCan IS COMING YOUR WAY! And awww yeah! PARENTS TOO.

THE WHOLE FACE FAMILY. FINALLY. AFTER 19 F*CKING CHAPTERS.

ONE MORE DAY UNTIL CHRISTMAS BREAK, THEN GET READY FOR THURSDAY & SUNDAY AND OTHER RANDOMIZED UPDATES AT UNANNOUNCED RANDOM TIMES!

~Awesome Maple


	20. Chapter 20

TENSION! DRAMA! WHAT WILL HAPPEN?!

BY THE WAY wellhellofriends YOU ARE SO SWEET I LOVE YOU. :3 Cynthia-Chan1449 always wishes me to have a great day (so to all of my readers, but especially Cynthia-Chan1449, have a great day too! lol btw it's 1:25 Eastern Time) and BitterSweet Crazy... Will we figure out who is Alfred's girlfriend?

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Hetalia... Nah. No I don't.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

"You're early," Matt said tightly, frowning.

"No, _you're_ early," Alfred contradicted, mirroring his twin's expression.

"You're both early!" Francis cut in and stood physically between them, seeing the tension rise over something fairly trivial.

"Yes! It's around seven now, so it's dinner time!" Alice exclaimed before they would inevitably ask which one was "more early". They'd always fought as boys over basically everything, although Matthew would always give in to Alfred's more dominating personality. Not today though, not to-fucking-day.

"Great, I'll wash my hands," Matt practically stormed out of the room, before sheepishly coming back and asking where the bathroom was.

"Ah," Alfred awkwardly scratched the back of his head. Up close, Gilbert could truly see how similar they were, and it was a little weird. He stared off into space, ignoring his parents' looks.

"Should I go after Matt?" Gilbert inquired after a few heavy moments, and Alfred jumped, startled. He hadn't seen Gilbert, apparently, even though Gilbert was right in front of him.

"Who are you...?" Alfred asked, beating his parents to an answer.

"I'm Gilbert."

"How do you know Matt?"

"I'm his b—"

"He's my boyfriend," Matt walked back in the room and planted a flamboyant kiss on Gilbert's lips, which made his twin cringe. Alfred wasn't homophobic, as far as anybody knew.

"You're gay?" Alfred asked with a clear look of guilt on his face. Matt had the perfect chance—either make his brother feel like _shit_ (as in he made Matt hate women and made him gay), or tell him the truth. Gilbert leaned in and said "truth" as though he'd read his mind.

"No," Matt shook his head, and Alfred looked confused, "I'm bisexual. Yeah, it exists. I liked men too, even during… _Yekaterina_." He spoke about her as though she was an event, not a person.

"About her..." Alfred looked away, ashamed.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Matt sneered, edging closer.

"No," Alfred said simply and the two were oblivious to the escalating tension between the other people in the room. Francis and Alice and Gilbert's eyes kept darting between themselves nervously and the twins as Matt began to take a dominant, intimidating stance, and Alfred a weaker one.

"Can you please have this conversation in private?" Alice stood and ushered them into the dining room without waiting for a reply. She seated them at a very big table (which was an indication this was a house meant to house many people or at least host parties frequently) and Francis disappeared into the kitchen. Gilbert was seated between Matt and Alfred, and Francis and Alice would sit in front of them.

"Francis does the cooking," Alice smiled sweetly to Gilbert, crushing the gender stereotypes as she sat down, "I can't cook for shit."

"She burned her cereal once," Alfred added, and she protested with a gasp, "I did not!"

"It's true, mom," Matt agreed with Alfred, surprising himself. He actually agreed with Alfred. _What the fuck?_

"The food is ready!" Francis walked in flamboyantly, holding multiple plates like a waiter and set it down before Matt could dwell on it for too long. He'd cooked it beforehand and simply had to warm it up on the stove. They didn't have a microwave because of Francis' irrational fear that Alice would end up blowing up everything. Well... The idea wasn't too far-fetched, to be honest.

Alice served the plates with the aid of Francis and after saying grace they all began to eat.

"So," Matt cleared his throat, "how have you been doing... Alfred?" Alfred visibly winced. His 'lil' bro' had always called him Al or Alfie... But he deserved it.

"Well," Alfred set down his fork to take a sip of water, "I've won a ton of shit at the Olympics."

"Yeah," Matt nodded, "Gilbert here is a pretty big fan of your triple axels and made me watch you."

"I did _not_," Gilbert smacked his fake lover's arm with a gasp. Okay, so he was fascinated with figure skating and particularly Alfred's, but he hadn't forced him to watch his brother! That was cruel. Wait... There was that _one_ time..

"You did too!"

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did!"

"Children!" Francis put a halt to their playful banter with a smile. That's what Alice and Francis had been like when they were first starting out—hell, they still were like this, but in private. But Francis was slightly suspicious. Matt's actions of affection were natural, whereas Gilbert's seemed forced. Either this was his German side lacking in the romance department or something wasn't right…

"Sorry papa," Matt grinned and ate his father's delicious pasta, but internally admitted that Feliciana's was ten times better.

"Well," Alice saved the day from an awkward pause, "I was certainly very proud of my little boy!"

"Yes we were!" Francis added, and Gilbert could feel Matt tense up. They were making it about Alfred, as usual. A few more times without talking about Matt and Matt would blow a fuse. They'd invited _him _to come to _their_ house, but they weren't going to ask about him?

Francis and Gilbert made eye contact, and Francis gave a little nod, taking note of Gilbert's eyeball and eyebrow flicking in Matt's direction.

"Matthieu," Francis smiled, "have you kept up hockey?"

"Yeah," Matt grinned, and Gilbert sighed a little bit in relief, though this was only visible to Francis, "I was invited to play in the NHL but I didn't like how the game is controlled by money, so I play at a recreational level."

"What does that mean?" Alice asked. Despite the fact that she'd lived in Canada for many years, she still didn't understand how hockey worked, and she was more lost than ever before because Matt wasn't there to explain why somebody had to leave the ice or why the play was stopped for apparently no reason.

"I play for fun," Matt answered, "but I haven't played for a year because of my work with Gilbert."

"Do you still play the same position…?" Alfred tried to integrate himself awkwardly into the conversation. Francis was the only one who wasn't talking at this point, and that was because he was busy getting the second dish out. Usually Alice and he had only one plate, but with guests they had to have at least some pasta first and a meat or fish dish, finished off by dessert. A three-course meal, European style.

"I played forward before," Matt looked towards a lost Gilbert, "but when I moved the U.S., I was the best player and they needed a goalie. Goalies are the best skaters on the team, so when they saw me at tryouts to determine which level I would be playing at, they offered the position."

"How many goals do you let in?" Alfred asked, curiously. Mattie had been a sensation to watch and he was surprised when his twin didn't go into professional hockey.

"So far, I've let in ten goals in the past six years, and my town's team for my age group has remained undefeated."

"You guys are so damn Canadian," Gilbert said, baffled, as he accepted his plate of real Canadian beef from Francis, "you guys are _obsessed_ with ice sports… Jesus."

"There's ice running through their veins, that's for sure!" Alice giggled and they lapsed into a comfortable silence, the only sounds being chewing and cutlery clinking against the plate for their second dish.

"How about you tell Gilbert how you guys met?" Matt asked to create some conversation.

"Do you want to—"

"I told them last time—"

"But what about—"

"No—"

"Guys!" Alfred whined, and the bickering parents stopped and asked what was wrong.

"You guys were supposed to tell Gilbert how you met, not bicker about who was going to tell it!"

"Oops," Francis shrugged, "who went last time?"

"Last time…" Alfred thought about the most recent party they had, and determined it to be both. "Last time you told it together."

"I'll start," Alice elbowed her French husband before he could say anything.

"We were at university," Alice began dreamily, "and I was studying the culinary arts, and Francis was my professor."

"That makes me sound old, ma chérie!"

"Well it's true! You _were_ my professor!"

"Okay, okay," Francis surrendered, "but I was strangely attracted to my student, who was no more than three or four years younger than I was. I was a prodigy and became the youngest culinary professor in France at the time (actually, I still hold this title), and had been assigned to teach. So I guess it is acceptable that I loved a student—"

"Tell us how you first met!" Alfred said excitedly, interrupting Francis' attempt to justify his feelings. Matt and Alfred always laughed at this part—hopefully Matt would loosen up a bit. Alfred could already see a loose grin tugging at the corner of his twin's mouth.

"So it was my first day teaching when your mother walked into my class, I took attendance and I noticed a non-French name," Francis pretended to be doing attendance, "and much to my horror, I realized I had a Brit in my class!"

"Oh come on, we don't cook _that_ badly!" Alice protested, and her husband and adoptive sons gave her a condoning look. She looked helplessly at Gilbert. _Time to make a good impression!_

"They," Gilbert coughed, "have pretty good tea?"

"Matt you're keeping him," Alice banged her fist like a judge's hammer on the table.

"Anyways," Francis cut back in, "I started teaching them to do a basic _Magret de Canard_, and when we were just starting to mix the ingredients for the first step, I looked up and there was an enormous fire!" Francis cried dramatically.

"Oh come on—"

"I grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out that terrifying fire, just saving the stock of ingredients," Francis was so into the story that he looked physically relieved, "and once everything was sprayed, I turned to see your mother staring in shock at her hands."

"Long story short I quit culinary school," Alice grumbled, and Francis patted her hand.

"But don't forget how I ran after you!"

"I hated you though! You had this… This air that screamed _pretentious asshole_!"

"But _I_ still loved _you_! You were, and still are, the most fiery woman in my eyes!"

"You're an idiot and you know it," Alice smacked him, "first off, British women are ugly, we can't cook and—"

"Oh but my love," Francis stood up and cried to the heavens flamboyantly, "you captured my heart! You were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen—and I've seen a lot because, well, it's France—and when you left in a rage, I just _had_ to chase you!"

"You had to chase me because I was holding your prize fish," she deadpanned, but Francis waved his hands, dismissing the accusation.

"No," Francis insisted, "I threw away the fish, don't you remember?"

"Okay, true…"

"Wasn't that cute?" Alfred suddenly cut in, and was relieved to see his twin, who was just a little younger than him, laughing. At this point in the story, the lovers had separate versions as to how Francis actually managed to ask Alice out and later marry her—despite the fact that she hated him initially. Why she hated him changed every time they heard the story.

"That was great," Gilbert nodded. By this time, they had all finished off both the second course and the dessert, and Gilbert convinced Alice and Francis to help out.

It was perfect.

Matt and Alfred went to the library to settle their differences, Alice went to tidy the house, and Francis and Gilbert decided to clean the dishes together—and Francis took this opportunity to talk to Gilbert.

"So Gilbert," Francis started as he rolled up his sleeves and tying his long hair back, "what do you love about Matt?"

"His personality, his eyes, his smell…" Gilbert pretended to get lost in a daze, rattling off the basics. Francis started washing the first few plates, soaking them in the soapy water.

"You're not fooling anybody," Francis didn't even turn to Gilbert, he just handed a plate for Gilbert to dry. Gilbert frowned, confused, asking what he meant.

"I can tell you're not really dating Matt," France sighed, "but Matt truly is interested in you."

"I know _that_," Gilbert nodded. He frowned, wondering how the hell Francis figured out he knew they weren't dating. His gut told him that Francis was like him... He just _knew_ stuff. In Francis' case, it was the instinct on love.

"Well don't lead him on, will you?" Francis asked, and then continued before Gilbert could reply, "His heart was already broken, and he doesn't it to be done again. I also know you guys didn't do anything other than kiss—and that kiss when you first came up to the house, yep, that was your first kiss with him."

"How did you know that?" Gilbert asked, stunned. _That_ he wasn't expecting.

"I know things," Francis grinned, confirming Gilbert's thoughts, "and I know that you're not sure about what you want."

"Umm…"

"Have you ever loved anyone, Gilbert?" Gilbert blushed at the question before muttering a muttered "No…" whilst drying another plate. Francis probably expected more than that since he didn't say anything, so Gilbert continued.

"I'm German, do you really think I know how to flirt or seem desirable? Do I even look desirable? I'm corpse-party coloured!"

"Well," Francis shrugged, "you somehow got Mathieu." They were almost done the plates.

"Matt's…" Gilbert struggled to think of a word but couldn't think of anything other than "weird."

"Hon hon hon, that is true!" Francis handed Gilbert the last cup to dry, "You can call me if you ever need any help with dealing with Matt."

"F-Francis!" Gilbert exclaimed, his face felt as though it was ablaze.

"You said it yourself!" Francis giggled, "You're German!"

"Vat?" Gilbert set down the last cup before turning mockingly to Francis, slipping into his heavy accent he worked hard to contain every day, "I'm auezome! I don't need ze elp from du! I can handle myzelf just fine!" They exploded with laughter.

"But seriously," Francis sobered up once they'd finished their maniacal laughter, "if you need help, do not hesitate to call me."

"Thanks," Gilbert nodded, grinning.

* * *

><p>In the meantime, the twins had walked to a secluded part of the house where nobody could disturb them, and they stood, facing each other, in the study. It was a large library filled with large tomes and Matt could recognize most from his childhood. The library had apparently grown during his absence.<p>

The twins, now grown men, stared at each other with their arms crossed over their chests.

"Alfred."

"Matt."

"Why did you do it?" Matt asked, staring coldly into his brother's eyes. Alfred felt a chill go down his spine. This was not Matthew—this was _Matt._ A man much different than the last time he saw him. The last time he'd seen him, he was sobbing loudly, his heart broken...

"Why did you do it?" Matt repeated. Alfred shivered again, his brother's eyes burning into his own.

"Why?" Matt asked again, taking a step closer.

"I…" Alfred started, and wondered how much longer Matt was going to keep his cool. He'd managed to contain himself and appear serene, but the whole time since Alfred had arrived, he'd seen a storm in his eyes even if he was laughing or smiling.

"Why? Why, damn it?" Matt walked forwards and by the end of his questions, he had grabbed Alfred's shirt collar. He could see water sparkling in his twin's eyes.

"_Why_?" Matt shook Alfred before slapping him and demanding the answer.

"I did it because…" He trailed off.

"Why did you do it?"

"It wasn't me! It was Yekaterina!"

"Don't you dare blame it on her," Matt growled, shoving his brother. _Oh shit,_ Alfred thought, panicking as he stumbled,_ Matt's getting violent. Fuck fuck fuck spit it out!_

"She was paying me!" Alfred finally let it out, raising his hands in surrender, "I was in financial trouble—you know that! She said that you were boring her and that—"

"Alfred F. Jones," Matt snarled, "I can tell when you're lying. And right now, you're lying."

Matt looked Alfred dead in the eye and grabbed his shoulders roughly. Matt had snapped.

"Now tell me the fucking truth."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Whoa brah!<p>

Alfred! Alice! Francis! Gilbert! Matt! What! The! F*ck?!

WHY DID ALFRED DO IT? WE'LL FIGURE OUT BY THURSDAY... OR MAYBE EVEN EARLIER! STAY TUNED!

Funfact: My best friend's bro and my bro are both goalies! My lil' bro wants to go into the NHL. Also, the NHL IS F*CKING AWESOME. I LOVE HOCKEY WITH A PASSION. MONTRÉAL CANADIENS FOR THE WIN!

~Awesome Maple

P.S. I love your comments so much I go through them and I just... GAH THEY ARE AWESOME.


	21. Chapter 21

Hello my lovelies! I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas with an update! I'm going to post Chapter 22 later on today or maybe tomorrow. Either way, it's going to happen before Sunday as my gift to you! Thanks for sticking with me this whole time.

Another part of my gift is that this has hit the 4,000+ word count! This is the longest chapter by far at 4,111 words!

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia... Merry Christmas Hima!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

Matt squeezed Alfred's shoulders tighter, his fingers digging into the fabric.

"We had an affair," Alfred admitted, "for about two months before you caught us."

"You what?" Matt freaked out, releasing him. Alfred resisted the temptation to straighten out his ruffled shirt.

"Do I need to repeat it?"

"No," Matt said dryly with a glare, "please continue." The two sat down on giant plush green chairs, thanks to a suggestion by Alfred. He knew that what followed required Matt to be seated.

"I have three entries she sent me. Total three entries for the entirety of the relationship. Entries... As in text messages."

"Show me."

Alfred obediently pulled out his phone and pushed a few buttons before handing it to Matt.

**Sister-in-law:** Hey Alfred. I have a problem.  
><strong>Me:<strong> What's wrong? You okay?  
><strong>Sister-in-law:<strong> I'm not satisfied with Matthew. He's great as a person but he's shit in bed. Is he just inexperienced?  
><strong>Me:<strong> Uh... You should to talk to a professional. I'm not equipped to talk to you about these things.  
><strong>Sister-in-law:<strong> I also have a burning question. I want to know if twins are equally good in bed.  
><strong>Me:<strong> Whoa okay, no. He's my brother! We're brother and sister! What the fuck? I'm sorry; you need to get some help. I'm dating a Belarusian—remember? Natalia? I'm not just going to cheat on her. You won't cheat on Matt. Get help.  
><strong>Sister-in-law:<strong> What about $500?  
><strong>Me:<strong> Sure... To pay for your mental well-being!  
><strong>Sister-in-law:<strong> $1000? Matt doesn't have to know. Just once. Natalia doesn't have to know. I don't care that we're related. Let's do it.  
><strong>Me<strong>: Fuck no.  
><strong>Sister-in-law:<strong> Come on Alfie! I just... Mattie's not enough!  
><strong>Me<strong>: Fine. I'll do it for free. Just be quick and leave me alone, okay?

"That's end of the first string," Alfred fished around for the second part. Matt turned away, anger and shame and sadness filling him and making him tear up. How could she do that to him? He would have been totally fine with talking about it. Why did Alfred bend and give up so easily?

Alfred silently handed the phone. This was after the first time. She'd changed her name to Kitty. She'd said it was kinky and Alfred didn't have the heart to change it... Because it fit.

**Kitty:** That was amazing.  
><strong>Me:<strong> I'll have to agree. But it still felt wrong and disgusting. Never again.  
><strong>Kitty:<strong> C'mon! Once more! Please?  
><strong>Me:<strong> Hell no. I said once.  
><strong>Kitty:<strong> I tried Matt again. He's improved since last month, but come on. 11:00 AM tomorrow when Matt's at work.  
><strong>Me:<strong> If Matt finds out...  
><strong>Kitty:<strong> He won't.

Alfred found the third chain. Now one month and a half through the affair. Matt gently plucked the phone out of his twin's hand, trembling.

**Me:** Natalia is too much of a handful. Can you divorce Matt for me?  
><strong>Kitty:<strong> Nah, this is way better.  
><strong>Me:<strong> I feel so guilty but I can't stop.  
><strong>Kitty:<strong> I know. ;)  
><strong>Me:<strong> No. Stop. I'm done here. One more time, then I'm serious. You need help.  
><strong>Kitty:<strong> Deal. I love you.  
><strong>Me: <strong>I guess.. I love you too.

"That's it," Alfred took his phone back, "our last time was when you discovered us."

"... What the hell?" Matt was able to ask angrily. But he couldn't stay angry for long as a mixture of heart splitting sadness and curiosity began to form a concoction in his troubled mind. He swallowed the lump in his throat, "What happened to her?"

"She…" Alfred rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "Well, Natalia, my girlfriend at the time found out and once you found out, Yekaterina dumped me that same day and the two hooked up. I have no idea where they are, but they're supposedly engaged and somewhere in Belarus."

Silence.

"There's no excuse to give," Alfred admitted quietly, completely ashamed. He'd hurt his best friend for basically no reason. Well, the reason was only because his sister-in-law was curious. He was curious about her too. Curiosity killed the cat… But this time, it wasn't satisfaction that brought it back—it was karma. Karma dragged it out of the grave, beat up the cat and propelled it at maximum velocity straight to hell.

"Yeah there isn't," Matt growled. His expression darkened and he felt a severe need to punch the teeth out of his shitty sibling.

"Do you forgive me?" Alfred asked hopefully, looking at him with puppy-dog eyes. Yes, it was childish, but it always won Matt over when they were kids. Even as adults before what had happened. It had never _ever_ failed on Alfred.

"Let me think," Matt said sarcastically, standing up and heading towards the huge double-doors, opening them. Once he was through them, he turned around, glared at Alfred and spat, "No. I don't forgive you Alfred. And I doubt I ever will. Not with an apology like that." He slammed the huge doors, leaving Alfred alone.

For the first time in their lives, Alfred's puppy-eye look didn't work. Although it was small, it destroyed Alfred inside. Matthew really had changed. He would never be Alfred's 'Mattie' ever again.

He would never be his brother ever again.

* * *

><p>"You two sleep well!" Francis and Alice ushered them to the top of the stairs of the basement and Francis raised his eyebrows at Gilbert when the wife and son weren't looking, and he nodded.<p>

"Thanks for everything," Gilbert thanked Matt's adoptive parents and they headed downstairs.

There, they got changed into their pyjamas—which consisted of boxers and a shirt—and they slipped under the covers once they had done basic toiletries.

"Do you mind?" Matt asked, and Gilbert opened his arms, nodding. Matt shuffled forwards until he was enveloped in Gilbert's warm embrace. He loved the feel of Gilbert's muscles and chub pressing up against his own body.

"Want to tell me what happened?" Gilbert asked, tentatively burying his nose into Matt's soft hair. He loved the feeling of Matt in his arms.

"He told me what happened," Matt sighed, snuggling deeper in Gilbert's arms.

"Care to elaborate?" Gilbert chuckled.

"I don't want to talk about it," Matt muttered.

"It's okay," Gilbert hmm'd, before changing the topic, "you said before that you liked me. What did you mean?"

"It means that I think you're awesome and I totally think we should date," Matt muttered drowsily, and Gilbert's heart began to speed up.

"Is this a racing heart I hear?" Matt pushed his ear against Gilbert's chest, listening to his accelerating heartbeat. Gilbert gulped as he began to heat up. _Oh come on, this is so fucking cheesy! Way to go, Gil. Way to fucking go._

"Yeah," Gilbert mumbled. So... He may have begun to have small feelings for Matt. No! He couldn't. He couldn't. Impossible.

"Do you want to kiss?" Matt asked, but Gilbert shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into the darkness, "I can't... I can't be with you."

"But we're both lonely," Matt tried to reason, "we're both single, both wanting somebody..."

"I'm sorry Matt," Gilbert tried to calm his heart, "how about after we finish working together? They'll surely find out. I can't afford to lose my job."

"Fine," Matt sighed, "but please, one more kiss?"

Gilbert had to agree. He bent his back and Matt straightened himself out so that their lips could meet. Just a peck.

"Now sleep," Gilbert forced out. He wanted to be with Matt... But he couldn't risk losing his job. He was supporting Ludwig. No, he didn't want Matt. He didn't like men. He liked women. Women like... Gilbert raced to find a woman to replace Matt, _Like Elizabeta! Maybe I could find her._

"Goodnight," Matt snuggled into Gilbert.

But throughout that night, Gilbert slowly detached himself from Matt. Through that night, he slowly convinced himself that he didn't want Matt, and when he woke up the next morning, he felt nothing for Matt's affections.

He couldn't wait to get home.

* * *

><p>"Good morning!" Gilbert exclaimed once he entered the kitchen. A civil Matt met a gloomy Alfred and they tried their best to make conversation with themselves but also their family.<p>

They had a delightful breakfast before Francis and Alice whipped out an agenda to plan their day.

"We were hoping to go skating," Alice pointed to the line marked 10:00 AM. It was currently 9:16.

"And then come back for lunch. Then go and do some sight-seeing and later go to a museum an hour away from here," Francis concluded.

"Sounds good!" Gilbert nodded enthusiastically.

"But before that," Alice pointed to a small, illegible note (well, legible to her), "Alfred's girlfriend should be arriving by 9:30."

"So go get dressed!" Francis clapped his hands, and they all dispersed from the dining room.

Matt and Gilbert headed downstairs, changing into casual jeans and a long sleeved sweater. Matt learned that Gilbert always, out of a strange habit, redid his whole suitcase before he left the house, so everything was packed in it.

The clock read 9:27 by the time the two were done, and the doorbell rang just as the pair were headed up the stairs to the entrance of the mansion. Gilbert and Matt had agreed, based on the sheer size of the house, that it was in fact a mansion.

"Hey baby!" Gilbert heard Alfred exclaim, and he heard a giggle that seemed somewhat familiar. He pulled his boots and coat on before heading to the entrance.

And then he walked into the entrance and froze in his tracks as Alfred pulled away from his girlfriend's lips.

His heart caught in his throat and terror seized him as his hands clammed up and he froze on the spot, unable to move. His breath began to quicken before the familiar face's eyes made contact with his.

"Anya?" Gilbert borderline squeaked.

He grabbed the wall beside him for support as he began to breath heavily, as though he'd just finished a marathon, staring into the Russian skater's eyes. His whole body trembled in fear as she smiled an innocent, "Gilbert?"

Just hearing her saying his name made him feel sick to his stomach. Flashbacks of abuse filled his mind as Matt and Alfred and Alice and Francis watched Gilbert worriedly, not sure what to do as he began to have a full-blown panic attack, crumbling to wall he desperately tried to seek support against and beginning looking as though he was ready to unleash a blood-curdling scream. Matt, being the paramedic he was, shouted at Alfred to get the source of this attack away.

He was now white-faced and hyperventilating, sweating like crazy and feeling sick to his stomach, and once Alfred had ushered Anya away, Gilbert bolted up, ignoring the family's calls and ran top speed out of the house and off the property.

Once he was on the main road, Gilbert threw up all over the side of the road, and he began sobbing.

_Fuck,_ Gilbert thought, running again away from the house, _oh my God. That's his girlfriend? Fuck. What the hell did I just do?_

He looked around and saw cable lines and whipped out his cell.

"Taxi service? Yes, I'd like to be pick... Yes, thank you." Somehow they knew where he was.

Gilbert wandered down the road, trying to admire the scenery. He wouldn't be able to see it for a while. Matt must have been so confused and probably stood there for a good minute or two before debating with his parents and leaving the house. Too bad Gilbert was already a good kilometre away from home.

_Ha. Home,_ Gilbert thought bitterly, tears beginning to form again as a panic gripped his chest. _Wait, home,_ he began to jog, _fuck. I need to get home. I can't go back there with Anya in the house. Oh _hell_ no. She's going to kill me. I know it._ Okay so he was exaggerating... But it wasn't too far-fetched. Not in his mind, at least.

Just then, he saw the taxi come down in the horizon and he began to wave his arms madly. The driver took one look at Gilbert once he'd pulled up beside him and told him the ride was free, before asking him where he wanted to go.

"Train station," Gilbert said immediately. He knew he would regret it, but he couldn't go back. Running away was the only thing he could do.

He blocked all of Matt's calls and opted to text Ludwig, telling him he'd seen her. Naturally, a few years after the horrifying relationship, Gilbert had told Ludwig about it, and Ludwig knew that once Gilbert would arrive home, he would probably drown himself in beer galore.

The taxi driver asked no questions to the snivelling Gilbert and Gilbert threw a 25$ bill into the seat despite the man's protests and thanked him before heading off inside the station. Matt would surely be close behind—or maybe not.

He paid for a ticket and hopped onto the first train leading the to USA. He admired the Canadian scenery some more but he called Ludwig and stayed on the phone for the entire three hours. Luckily he'd remembered to shove his passport into his wallet... There were no basics he'd forgotten. He had his passport, credit card and his cell phone. That's all he really needed.

When Gilbert pulled into the train station and ran into Ludwig's waiting arms, he was completely ready to get piss-drunk that afternoon. Fuck Matt. Fuck his family. He was back in the USA and he was home with Ludwig. He considered going back to Germany but he realized that was too rash. This was bad enough.

He felt bad for completely ditching Matt with no explanation, but seeing Anya... Gilbert stormed to the basement, locked himself in and opened up the first bottle of beer whilst setting up _Violent Shit_, his first Schnaas movie that he would watch of many that night.

Damn it.

* * *

><p>"What the hell?" Matt exploded once Gilbert was gone. He had no clue what to do. <em>Wait? Run after him?<em>

"Do you think he'll come back?" Alice asked, confused, but Francis beat his son to the punch.

"He's leaving Canada," Francis said solemnly as they stared at the white, snowy landscape outside, Gilbert's figure long gone, "and I saw that look in his eyes. He won't be back in this household for a long, long time."

"I'm going after him," Matt concluded a minute or so later after serious internal debate.

Matt didn't question his papa's reasoning. He didn't bother grilling Alfred and his Russian girlfriend why Gilbert reacted that way. He simply chased Gilbert, grabbing their suitcases and getting into the car and after a hasty goodbye to his mother, telling his father to hit the gas.

* * *

><p>He bolted out the car once he pulled up to the snow-clad train station, worried sick because Gilbert wasn't returning any calls, and although his companion saw the texts, he never replied.<p>

"Bye papa," Matt hastily gave Francis a kiss on the cheek at the station.

"Love you!" Francis called after his son, which his son returned. Francis could guess what had happened between the Russian girl and the German boy.

And it wasn't a good thing.

* * *

><p>Matt ran to the ticket man and asked when the next train was going.<p>

"You just missed the last one by fifteen minutes!" He shrugged, "But the next train is coming in about two hours!"

"Fucking hell," Matt muttered and sat down on a bench facing the train tracks once he'd paid for a ticket. Two hours to kill. What could he do for two hours? Matt opened his phone and dialled a familiar number.

* * *

><p>Lars was busy cooking lunch and Sakura was feeding their fuzzy white rabbit (Sakura's Christmas gift to Lars) when their phone rang.<p>

"Could you grab that, honey?" Lars asked casually, and his heart did a little flip. _Honey_. He had finally married the woman of his dreams and he was able to finally call her honey like a real husband. Even casually calling her that simple name made him realize how serious and how official this really was. And… How great a decision it was.

"Sure thing," she said in her sweet voice that Lars loved to hear. Sometimes, they would just sit and talk and Lars would get lost in the sound of his wife's musical voice. Her Japanese accent was strong and he loved it. He loved her.

"This is Lars and Sakura's home, wifey speaking!" Sakura nearly giggled in delight as she picked up the phone. Sakura was also enchanted with the idea that it wasn't just her and Lars as simply engaged, but they were now a team, they were a family of two. Soon to be a family of three, but Lars didn't know that yet.

"_Hey Sakura, this is Matt. Could I talk to Lars?_" Sakura could hear Matt's tense tone over the phone and frowned.

"Lars," Sakura put her hand over the phone, "it's Matt."

"Thanks," Lars smiled as Sakura handed him the phone, and he balanced it between his ear and his shoulder. Sakura had enough experience that at this point she should probably take over, as her husband, Matt, cooking, and phone calls usually ended in disaster.

Lars handed his wife the handle of the spoon—they were making soup—and he walked the short distance out of the kitchen and to the living room where their bunny cage was.

"Hey Matt," Lars sat down on one of their small couches, "what's up?"

"_Gilbert left,_" Lars recognized the tone in Matt's voice and grilled him with what's and why's.

"_He saw Alfred's girlfriend and left. He had a severe panic attack and just… Left._"

"Where is he? Where are you?" Lars demanded worriedly, and Sakura briefly diverted her attention from the food to her handsome husband to make sure everything was okay. He had it under control. Lars always had it under control. She turned her attention back to their food.

"_He's not returning any calls,_" Matt sounded hurt over the phone, "_or texts or anything. Papa says he's going back to the US and honestly I think he is too. I have to wait a whole two hours though before I can make it back. Man, I knew I shouldn't have gone on this trip…_"

"There must have been _something_ good out of it," Lars tried to reason with Matt. If there was something great about their relationship, it was that they were able to reason with each other. Always able to find the positive. Lars ran a strong hand through his spiky blond hair.

"_Well,_" Matt began, "_I was able to talk to my parents. I finally figured out why the hell Alfred did it… I can also talk to Alfred in a civil manner. I can say his name. Alfred, Alfred, Alfred._"

"That's great," Lars smiled, "what about Gilbert?"

"_We… Kissed,_" Matt admitted in a sheepish tone over the other end, "_and he… Agreed to a relationship—maybe, there's nothing for sure—once we end this job-thing. But he's convinced he's not into men. I know he isn't…_"

"Matt," Lars sighed, "stop fooling yourself. I know you think you and Gilbert would be great together, but be realistic. If he says no, it means no. End of story."

"_You don't understand!_" Matt cried through the phone, but Lars cut him off.

"Yes I do. Remember when I asked Sakura out? She flat out rejected me and called me a jerk. I tried again, and she rejected me again. Then what did she do?" Lars quizzed his friend.

"_She asked you out eventually and agreed when you asked her to marry you,_" Matt droned. Lars had told Matt this little story every time he felt bad about a relationship turned sour.

"If he's not into men," Lars said softly, "there's nothing you can do. Either he'll turn around or he won't."

"_Ugh…_" Matt groaned on the other line. Lars felt bad for Matt, but he didn't want to give him any false hope. He couldn't make Matt's feelings get broken and crushed anymore than they already were.

"Umm… Lars?" Sakura caught Lars' attention and her husband told Matt to "Hold on," and he nodded. She gestured to the pot.

"If you want to eat before me you can," Lars pursed his lips. He hated making Sakura wait for him but Matt was going through a hard time and he needed to be there for his bestie. He was glad he had such an understanding wife. Anybody else and they wouldn't have begun dating in the first place.

"_Lars?_" Lars heard Matt on the other end and acknowledged Matt.

"_Go eat with Sakura,_" Matt said, defeated, "_I need to stop holding you back._"

"No, it's fine—" Lars tried to give in to the temptation. He wanted to help Matt… But he felt guilty that he had to hold up his wife. He hated having to choose between his wife and his best friend.

"_It's not fine Lars,_" Matt argued, "_we both know you want to be with your wife. I'll call you when I get back to the US. That should be in… Five hours?_"

"If you're sure…" Lars agreed warily, and Matt affirmed positive. He nodded before realizing that Matt couldn't see his movement.

"Well… Good luck Matt," Lars bid farewell and Matt did the same before hanging up.

Sakura patted her husband's arm and led him to the small dining room where their soups were waiting. That phone call had been longer than Lars anticipated. He stood in the doorway, pondering as to what to do with Matt.

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked timidly, and he hugged her, nodding. He was just worried about Matt. He then bent down to pick her up and spin her around, which was something that Sakura read as Lars being okay, but this time she hissed in pain and he set her down gently, worried.

"What's wrong?" Lars frowned, "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Sakura patted Lars' hand and made him sit down at the dark wooded table, "I'm fine."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Well," Sakura reddened a little bit, "this doesn't feel like the right time to tell you but I might was well tell you that…" Lars' eyes widened. _Is this really happening?_

"… We won't be the only two in this house." She waved towards her still-flat stomach. Well, apparently any exertion hurt her? Lars had no idea how babies worked.

"Are you serious?" Lars exclaimed excitedly, and Sakura nodded, her eyes sparkling. He didn't know what to do so he opted to give her a small, sweet, sincere peck on the lips and letting her wipe away small crystals of joy that had gathered up in the corners of his eyes.

Lars was going to be a father.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>WOOHOO. LONG-ASS CHAPTER FOR YOU ALL WONDERFUL READERS. SO. MUCH. DRAMA.<p>

I promise I'll tone it down in the next chapter!

Again, Merry Christmas!

~Awesome Maple


	22. Chapter 22

I FORGOT ABOUT SUNDAY, I AM SO SORRY MY LOVELIES. But because it's New Year's Eve, I'll post the missing chapter now, and another one tomorrow as usual!

Lol I am watching SO MUCH AVATAR. Not even 48 hours since I began and I've finished seasons 1 & 2! I JUST started season 3 yay! Man I just barely finished this chappie! HAPPY NEW YEARS MY BABIZ.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: Hetalia isn't mineee

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

Alfred lay wrapped in his girlfriend's arms that night, confused as fuck. She'd promised him to explain what the fuck was going on with Matt's boyfriend but she didn't say anything yet, and he was afraid to ask.

"I guess you want to know what's going on, don't you?" Anya eventually asked after a good fifteen minutes in bed.

"Yeah," Alfred nodded.

"You might want to leave me once I tell you," Anya looked up, exposing her naked chest that was resting against Alfred's own uncovered chest. In fact, both of them were only wearing underwear. It was a weird habit they had, but when they began dating seriously it was a mutual agreement that they would continue sleeping in their usual attire (or rather, lack of attire) they wore to bed.

"I love you," Alfred disagreed, "nothing will change how I feel about you."

"That's what you say now pretty boy," Anya said darkly, but Alfred didn't care. He was used to her freakish and dark ways and mind, but he loved her anyways. He was a moron, and they both knew it.

"How about you tell me?" Alfred suggested, curiosity starting to itch at his brain.

"Okay," Anya nodded and Alfred played with her incredibly long hair as she told her tale.

"I loved Gilbert. I loved him with an obsession. But at the same time I hated Ludwig enough to murder him. I do not remember this part of my life as I was usually completely drunk on Vodka. It is an embarrassing chapter of my life and I truly do hate myself for it. I am a very dramatic person, don't you think? Murder is too far.

I asked Gilbert out, but was rejected by him. So I threatened to kill Ludwig and thus forced Gilbert to be with me. I also had these three Baltic women with me but I don't really remember them. I think they were servants.

I was crazy those years. It was probably eight, maybe nine years ago this happened? Less? I can't remember. I was very heavy into BDSM, and while it was fun at first, I became very dangerous and physically hurt Gilbert multiple times. He didn't love me back. Despite all my efforts, he didn't love me.

So I grew bored and booted him out of the house," Anya finished. Alfred didn't really know what to say because it was all so vague.

"Do you still love me?" Anya asked sarcastically.

"Yeah," Alfred said without hesitation.

"You are a fucking idiot," Anya sighed, smacking his head violently as if to smack some sense into him, "and not in a good way."

"Whatever," Alfred chuckled softly, rubbing his head with a slight groan. Of course this information scared Alfred shitless but at the same time, he didn't mind. He didn't know why, but he still thought of Anya as a beautiful little sunflower.

"Goodnight," Anya yawned into the darkness, and Alfred pulled her closer.

"Goodnight baby."

* * *

><p>Matt arrived home exhausted at around 23:45 that night, and since he didn't tell Lars to pick him up (he felt guilty and thought he should leave his best friend alone) and he couldn't go to his house because he didn't have a key, so he got a taxi to bring him to Ludwig's house, where he knocked softly and hoped somebody would open.<p>

"Who'th'fug's there?" Matt heard on the other side of the door. The words were slurred and it took a very long time to open the door.

"Um," Matt blushed once Gilbert; piss-drunk and still drinking opened the door, "hi."

"Get outtam'lawn," Gilbert slammed the door in Matt's face, but forgot to lock it so Matt entered by himself.

"I sai'to get offm'lawn," Gilbert made a lunge at Matt but Matt restrained him and forced him to the basement.

"I'm not on your lawn," Matt pushed the drunk Gilbert to the bed, "I'm in your house. What the fuck happened?"

The whole room was a complete mess. The couch was overturned, more bottles than Matt could count were strewn everywhere and the beds were undone and a pillow was ripped in two. So this was more serious than Matt originally thought.

"It's m'f'ckn room... Aussteigen!" Gilbert yelled, throwing down an empty bottle of beer, shattering it.

"Okay I have no fucking clue what you just said but you need Advil and sleep," Matt tried to grab Gilbert, but the motherfucker began speaking in German and was surprisingly strong, so Matt pushed him into the bed violently and forced him to lie still and calm the fuck down.

"Auf Wiedersehen," Gilbert mumbled before he fell asleep, "gute nacht."

"Damn it," Matt sighed before crawling into his own bed after looking once around the trashed room. That would be a bitch to clean up tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Feliciana quietly made her way downstairs, leaving her hubby-to-be (he'd proposed while Matt and Gilbert where at work a week ago, but she had yet to say yes) and descending to the basement to check up on Gilbert.<p>

Feli remembered yesterday afternoon with a shiver—never had she seen Gilbert, out of all people, bawl his eyes out and grab an entire case of beer all for himself.

To her surprise, Matt was residing on his bed. So he'd gotten in somehow? Huh.

Then she saw the horrible damage Gilbert had done to his room and she sighed. For such a happy-go-lucky guy, when he snapped, he snapped. Broken bottles lay on the ground, fluffy feathers were everywhere, and it smelt of junk food and alcohol and weed. Where he'd gotten _that_, Feli had not clue.

The man himself was still dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and was completely strewn on a bed without covers. Matt, on the opposite end of the room, was snuggled tightly and didn't look stressed at all... He looked serene.

Feli went back upstairs and pondered. What friends did Gilbert have? Her plump lips pouted when she realized that Ludwig was all he really had, and maybe Matt.

Suddenly, she remembered! Romano!

"Fratello?/_Brother?_" Feli asked once she'd dialled her brother's number.

"_Cosa vuoi Feli?_/_What do you want Feli?_" Romano yawned on the other end, and Feliciana proceeded to explain what had happened.

"Gil non sta bene e sono molto preoccupata per lui... Ti va di venire a trovarlo oggi?/_Gil isn't well and I'm very worried for him... Do you feel like coming over today?_" The pretty Italian concluded after telling what she knew. Romano sighed.

"_Va bene, va bene,/Okay, okay,_" he agreed, "a che ora?/_at what time?_"

"Alle due del pomeriggio?/_At two in the afternoon?_"

"_Dai, va bene,/Sure, okay,_" he agreed and the twins hung up. Feliciana felt really bad, but she was certain that Romano could help her soon-to-be fiancée's brother.

Feli then headed back upstairs to wake Ludwig up.

"Good morning," Feliciana lay down on the bed and crawled up to her husband's strong chest.

"Guten Morgen," Ludwig replied lazily. Feliciana learned this meant "good morning."

"Gil isn't doing so well," she pouted, "did you see the damage in his room? Also, Matt made it home and Romano is coming over at two o'clock this afternoon to help Gilbert out," Feliciana rattled off, and Ludwig, half-asleep, tried to follow.

"Okay," he nodded once everything processed, "sounds good. What do we do with Matt?"

"I don't know," Feliciana frowned, "make him go with his friend? Make him help out?"

"We'll see what he wants to do," Ludwig rubbed his eyes and sat up. He blushed whenever he saw Feliciana these days, and whenever she even looked in his general direction, he tensed up. He'd proposed over a week ago at this point and his stomach did little flips continuously.

"Ludwig?" Feliciana rested her hand on his shoulder worriedly as he was sitting on the edge of the bed completely still.

"What?" Ludwig jumped and twisted to face her, violently surprised.

"Is everything okay?" Feliciana asked worriedly, and his heart beat faster as he flushed as she leaned forwards.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine," he nodded vigorously.

"You know," Feliciana made her way to the other side of the bed and sat beside him, "I have an answer."

"Oh um…" Ludwig looked away. She gently took his face in her delicate hands and made him face her.

"Yes."

* * *

><p>Later on that day, Romano came over and helped clean up the basement while Gilbert tried to help out, but his hangover impeded him from doing so.<p>

Matt, on the other hand, went for a day out and went skating alone. He needed a break from all the drama, so he went out to a public skating rink and played a game with a bunch of Swedish-Finnish miscellaneous team against an all-Russian team. When the Russians saw Matt, who was very well known in their area, they all groaned.

Needless to say, Matt didn't let any goals in and they won 1-0. The Russians were great, but Matt was better. The '72 Summit series had proved that many years ago. Canada was definitely the best, and Matt was proud to uphold the reputation.

He returned late at night, relaxed, and the basement was cleaned up by then, but Gilbert was still watching TV mindlessly and he cradled an empty beer bottle. They shared a quick conversation about how their day went and it was lights out.

* * *

><p>"This is the house all right," Matt drove himself and Gilbert to the scene of crime a day later. Gilbert was still torn up about everything but he managed to drag his ass out of bed to do a case. He still had a job to do.<p>

"¡Hola Gilbert y Matt!" A preppy Spanish woman greeted them as they crunched through the snow to the playground. This time the crime was in bright daylight and the snow nearly blinded Gilbert's sensitive albino eyes.

"Where's Romano?" Gilbert frowned and covered his eyes with his hand.

"Ah," Isabella waved to a group of officers, "he's over there."

"Thanks," Matt and Gilbert thanked her simultaneously and headed out to search Vargas, approaching the small group of blue-clad officers.

"Where's the body?" Gilbert asked once he'd tapped Romano's shoulder.

"Over there," Romano pointed to a large taped-off area near the swing set and Gilbert could see frozen blood spattered over the dazzling, sparkling snow. The Canadian and German headed over to the area, notebooks out and pens poised, ready to write.

They inspected the body—a young girl's guts were spread over the snow and a frozen man lay near her. He was the murderer, as they could see no other signs of struggle once they stepped over tape and closer to the evidence.

Matt snapped a few pictures and Gilbert went to his normal job of writing.

"You done yet?" Matt asked, twenty minutes after they'd arrived to the scene. Gilbert shook his head.

"You can go back to Romano," he leaned closer to the girl's jacket, "I need to inspect this."

Matt nodded and headed back to Romano where he awkwardly tried to listen to the conversation, but all they were talking about was an old case he had nothing to do with. Matt thanked the good lord when Gilbert came back, his notepad fresh with notes.

"Let's go back to the office," Gilbert suggested, and once he bid farewell to Romano, Matt drove them to the desired destination.

* * *

><p>"So what happened with this one?" Gilbert, Matt, Lukas and Mathias were all hovering over the pictures of the crime scene. Lukas' real specialty involved murders that included guts being spilled everywhere—it wasn't official, but the station generally accepted it as so, and Mathias was hanging out with them because he was curious.<p>

"I'd say old-time revenge," Gilbert suggested randomly after a moment of silence, leafing through a few documents professionally, "DNA scans say the two are Albanian. In Albania there are still blood feuds today."

"The fuck?" Matt voiced, mirroring the other non-Gilbert people in the room's thoughts.

"I got Yao—the Chinese guy, yeah, he's the rookie working in the photocopier room downstairs, he's a chill guy—he looked up family history and it turns out the death threats between these families is getting way out of whack. Last year her parents were murdered because the guy's son was murdered by the aunt and uncle of the little girl."

"That makes no sense Gil," Lukas scratched his head.

"Hear me out," Gilbert argued, "but there's more. The two are the last in the families, so the guy apparently wrote a letter—Mathias get the letter from the photocopier, they found it in his jacket pocket and are sending us a copy—and it says stuff like 'we're going down together' so he killed the girl and himself."

"That is literally so fucked up," Mathias scratched his head as he left the room, "I give up. There's a reason I'm only the secretary."

"Okay," Lukas murmured, "that all makes sense, but I need more proof."

"What more proof do you need?" Matt questioned, "You have their identity, family history, plus a primary document!"

"That's all fine and dandy," Lukas continued, a little louder, "but I need exactly how he killed her."

"Why?" Gilbert asked for Matt's sake. He picked at a suspicious piece of white, dried substance stuck to his desk. He briefly wondered what it was.

Mathias returned from the photocopier room and put down the letter. They had a photocopy machine in their office, but it was simply for printed word or PDF documents with information such as background or emails. The printer downstairs, where Yao worked, is where the scans of important documents were made. Luckily Mathias was a pro and was able to get stuff super fast.

"Because we need to provide as many details as possible to make sure we have no loose ends on the case. We need every detail, what they did, how they got here… More on the feud," Lukas straightened his clothes and headed to the door, "I'll figure out the gory stuff, you guys figure out why they were here, or any family or friends… I mean, what do we do with the body?"

"Right," Gilbert nodded and checked the clock. 21:46—it was late enough. This was a case that would require a lot of research, so it was forgivable if they left and came back the next morning to finish it off.

"We'll be off," Gilbert informed his co-workers, "see you tomorrow!"

"Bye sir!" Mathias called as the door closed.

Gilbert sighed happily. Finally, everything was back to normal.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Wowowowowow. I hate original characters in fanfics, and I also hate translations that aren't directly there. Unfortunately, I decided that I would use OCs in the sequel... Sorry! Breaking my own rules, I know, terrible. I added the translations directly on the speech. Sorry if it looks funny.<p>

~Awesome Maple

P.S. SEE YOU ALL IN 2015 WITH THE NEW CHAPTER!

Translations:

I translated all the Italian (it's my first language, English is actually 3rd lol) so I don't need to do that.

_aussteigen _means _get out. _(by the way, I used to take German, but after realizing my passion that I wish to pursue in life requires Russian, I decided to let it be for now. I remembered that one though! I think I may move onto Dutch (because I am Italian-Canadian-Dutch)).


	23. Chapter 23

**HAPPY 2015 MY AWESOME, AMAZING, WONDERFUL AND FABULOUS READERS!**

Wooooowwwww so many compliments on my writing speed! I'll tell you that I love it and I'm grateful people are acknowledging that writing this fast isn't an easy task!

**Btw sexual themes in this chappie.**

So there's a sequel to this book, but after this series I've got a really cool 1p!Pru2p!Can STEAMPUNK (hell yeah) idea! Do you guys like that idea? A steampunk version of this ship? I'm very excited for it!

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: Hetalia... Not mine.

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><p><strong>Chapter 23<strong>

When Gilbert and Matt returned that night, Ludwig and Feliciana were waiting for them to begin supper.

"Aw shucks!" Gilbert gave his taller brother a noogie, messing up his hair, "You shouldn't have!"

"But we did," Feliciana giggled and they went to the table.

About halfway through dinner, Gilbert was talking to his brother when he saw something flash on Feliciana's hand and he stopped talking, curious.

"Can I see your hand?" Gilbert asked, and before waiting for a reply, grabbed her hand. On her slim finger was a silver, shiny ring with a small diamond. He let her hand go, unsure how to feel.

"We're engaged," Ludwig provided awkwardly. Gilbert wasn't sure if he wanted to scream in frustration or if he wanted to be happy for his brother. He opted for the second one to be expressed now, and the first option to be expressed later when he was out of the house.

"That's great!" Gilbert exclaimed after a minute of pondering. Everybody let out a sigh of relief. They were all thinking of the same thing. Sooner or later, Gilbert would have to leave… And he clearly wasn't ready.

* * *

><p>"Damn it!" Gilbert screamed and kicked a pile of snow, sending it flying, once he was outside. After dinner he'd excused himself to go for a short walk <em>alone<em> (he was very specific about that part) and was currently walking through the nearby park.

"Why Luddy, why?" Gilbert looked up to the stars angrily, looking for answers, "Now I'm all alone. I'm going to have to leave, but I have nowhere to go. Buy an apartment downtown? That shit's expensive. Maybe I should live in the station."

"Gilbert…" Gilbert whipped around to see his brother. Little did he know, but Ludwig had been following him the whole time. His long coat fluttered in the light breeze.

"I said I wanted to be alone!" Gilbert screamed, childishly kicking snow in his brother's direction (and successfully sending the snow straight to his knees), "I need time to sort my thoughts! Only the other day did I see Anya, Matt told me he likes me, and now you're going to marry Feli and make me leave! I've been through so much and I only asked to be alone for a second!"

"I know it's hard Gilbert—"

"No!" Gilbert shouted, snow starting to fall comically and the wind picked up, as if in a movie, "You have no idea Ludwig! Are you the one who was forced through hell? Are you the one who is confused about your feelings? Are you the one who is about the get kicked out of your own house? No! You're not! You have no right to say you know it's hard!"

"I'm sorry—"

"Yeah," Gilbert literally spat at his brother's shoes when Ludwig tried to advance, "you should be." Ludwig froze.

"But the past is the past," Ludwig tried to reason. Wrong move. The snow began to swirl violently around them as they stood under the streetlight.

Gilbert's face reddened and Ludwig knew he'd made a huge mistake. His fists clenched, and he knew that Gilbert was about to unleash a violent attack of words and fists. He had to defend himself. He dropped into a fighting stance, ready for Gilbert's wrath.

Instead, Ludwig was surprised as Gilbert let out his breath slowly, and turned around.

"I asked to be alone, and you disrespected my wishes," Gilbert said in a hard tone, "I'm leaving. I'll be back, probably. Bye," Gilbert ran off into the darkness. There was so much stupid drama in his life.

He felt like a character in a badly written fanfiction that had way too much confusing and dramatic shit going on in his life. He was _that_ guy. The hero with all the issues who eventually figure it all out… But he wasn't, was he?

… Yeah, he was totally that guy.

_Whatever_, Gilbert dismissed the idea and slowed to a walk. He rifled through his pockets. He had some money, so he decided to stop off at a restaurant to grab a bite to eat. He needed comfort food.

* * *

><p>Elizabeta was talking about Hungary with a Hungarian customer in the small diner when a man came bursting through the wooden double doors. It was a 24-hour diner so it wasn't a surprise to see somebody walking in at almost midnight. She'd quit her job at the hospital and decided to work here instead. She preferred the warmth and adult and child customers who spoke her language.<p>

"See you later," she saluted the older customer sweetly, and walked over to the man who was radiating frustration and anger.

"Would you like to order something, sir?" Elizabeta asked, and the familiar man looked up.

"Hey…" the albino before her squinted, "You're that girl from the carnival a few months ago that thought I was gay."

"You're not?" The Hungarian girl raised her dark brown eyebrows in confusion.

"No," he said firmly, "can I have anything that has to do with sausages or beer?" Beer, sausages… It was his comfort food.

"Sure thing," Elizabeta walked off.

Gilbert shrugged off his coat and hat and observed the diner. It was quaint, warm, and made entirely of wood. Kind of like a chalet, really. He was seated in the middle of the diner and there was a Hungarian older gentleman in the corner—he could tell by his face and clothing, and a group of American tourists—he could tell by attire and attitude.

A minute or so later, Elizabeta came waltzing back to him and gave him something that looked like sausage and smelled like beer, but he couldn't tell what it was. It was all weirdly coloured.

"It's just sausage cooked in beer," she supplied, and Gilbert nodded. She looked at him eat silently, making him self-conscious.

"How are you?" She asked eventually, and he shrugged.

"Pissed," he said as he clenched his fork as his eyes watered, "and sad and confused and lost."

"Do you need a place to stay?" She asked, her green eyes shimmering, "I'm almost done my shift. We can talk if you want. I used to be a therapist, you know."

"Uh…" Gilbert frowned, unsure of everything she just said, and Elizabeta smiled brightly, "I take it as a yes."

"Okay," Gilbert nodded. He didn't know this girl, he had no idea where to go but his gut said that he should go with Elizabeta. He sensed a friend ahead.

... He was bad fanfiction guy.

"Great. I finish in five minutes. You finish up and then we'll leave."

Gilbert had no idea was he was getting into as he watched her walk away, hips sashaying elegantly to serve the American customers.

* * *

><p>"I know this seems all a little strange…" Elizabeta started once they were seated on her red, cosy couch in her tiny apartment, "But I think you need a little help."<p>

"Yeah…" Gilbert frowned, and scratched his head. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He barely knew her. Then again… She had no prejudice or bias against him. Also, there was a raging blizzard outside.

"Just tell me how you feel," she encouraged, and he sipped his hot chocolate. As soon as they'd arrived, she had helped set up the couch-bed for him and given him hot chocolate.

"Okay," Gilbert started his tale. He told her all about beginning the job with Matt, he told her about Anya, about Ludwig and Feliciana, about his concern for his grandfather's health (which had been nagging at the back of his mind for weeks now), he told her about Matt's feelings and his confusion. He told her everything and anything that troubled, including that he would have nowhere to go. He shed a few tears, but Elizabeta had simply inched closer and closer to him during his entire rant and by the end, he was snuggled in her arms.

"Didn't that feel great?" She asked softly, and he nodded, feeling like a child. Having somebody to rant to that isn't your brother or Matt was a huge relief.

"Thanks," Gilbert thanked her. The lights had been dimming this whole time slowly, and she explained that she set it like this because it helped calm her mind subconsciously. It _had_ helped him loosen up apparently, now that Gilbert thought back on it. _Interesting settings... I should do that to my place._

"Do you need anything?" Elizabeta asked as she started getting up. Gilbert knew he would regret it, but he did it anyways.

"Yes," he said, and before she could react, stood up as well and kissed her strongly. He pulled back, guilt taking a hold of his stomach and twisting his gut. He stammered, "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I'm really sorry I just…" Gilbert looked at her, this stranger, "You're beautiful and…"

"Shh…" Elizabeta placed a finger on his lips and stepped closer to him, hugging him in a way that felt too friendly for Gilbert, "It's okay—oh." She felt something hard poking her leg and looked down at Gilbert's pants, and back up at his red face, his jaw facing her and his eyes turned to the wall.

"Look at me," she commanded on Gilbert looked down at her. She took his face in her hands and kissed him, "take me."

"Are you sure…?" Gilbert asked. Elizabeta pulled a small packet Gilbert was familiar with and had used many times before from under the couch pillow. It had been there the whole time and she had simply placed it there for her friends' use (she didn't know why, but friends ended up using her house for certain reasons while she watched Netflix in her room), but this time was different. She placed the condom in his hand.

"Yes."

This felt so wrong, but Gilbert went ahead anyways. Something felt strange, but for once in his life, he couldn't place it. He knew he would regret it…

_But fuck it._

* * *

><p>Matt awoke the next morning angrily as he dialled Gilbert's phone, before remembering he had left it there as he heard the ring tone go off from somewhere in the room. They had to go to work!<p>

_Damn it Ludwig!_ Matt thought as he stood, _If only you had left Gilbert alone._

Matt sighed as he got dressed in his policeman uniform. He had to finish a case. If Gilbert wasn't going to show up or do it, then he would. Matt bravely grabbed Gilbert's keys off the kitchen counter once he'd finished dressing, and without bidding Ludwig or Feliciana goodbye, he headed out to the police station.

He was ready to do his job.

* * *

><p>Elizabeta watched her one-timer, temporary albino lover awaken slowly. He didn't know it, but it had been her first time. She'd promised herself that she would wait until marriage, but she'd seen a broken man in his red eyes… This was wrong, it went against her beliefs, but she didn't regret it. She saw something more in Gilbert than just a one-timer.<p>

"You can stay with me," Elizabeta said when Gilbert had cracked open an eye, and he frowned. She propped herself up on a pillow.

"What?" He croaked.

"When Ludwig kicks you out," Elizabeta rolled her eyes with a grin, "you can come live with me. In fact… Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

"What?" He asked again, even more confused. _What the fuck is happening? I'm so confused..._

"I asked—"

"No, no, I understood…" Gilbert frowned, sitting up, "Why though?"

"Well, first off, you'll need a place to stay," Elizabeta also sat up, bringing the covers to cover her chest, "but secondly, that was my first time and—"

"WHAT?" Gilbert yelled in horror, and backed off the bed, tumbling to the ground in frenzy, scrambling up and off the floor and covering his junk with a pillow, "Why didn't you tell me? What's wrong with you? I'm a stranger! You don't just go giving yourself up! You're insane—"

"Relax!" Elizabeta tried to calm him, but Gilbert continued ranting, pacing.

"Wow! Great! So I'm getting kicked out of the house, a guy likes me, my ex-girlfriend is dating the brother of said guy and I'll probably see her again soon, I'm late for my job and I just took a girl's virginity! Without knowing!" Gilbert backed away from Elizabeta like she was some wild animal and then resumed pacing and muttering.

"Relax, Gilbert," she said soothingly and Gilbert ceased his pacing and he nearly shouted a "How the hell can I relax?"

"Gilbert," Elizabeta giggled, "I wanted to do it. I was waiting, but I thought you were worth it."

"No, no!" Gilbert covered his face with his hands, "That's not how it works! You don't just throw your virginity at strangers! Now I have to… I have to pay you back somehow!"

"You could be my boyfriend," Elizabeta blinked with her big eyes hopefully. Gilbert face palmed.

"You're crazy, you know that?" He opened his fingers a crack and then closed them before continuing, "You find some random stranger, and this guy is way too emotional to think rationally, and then you think it's a good idea to go against a personal belief just to get a stupid boyfriend."

"Yes…?"

"… Fine," Gilbert said, defeated. _What am I getting into? I knew I shouldn't have bothered with her! But I guess I owe her?_

"Great! I think you should not go to work and but tell your brother right now that you have a place to go!" Elizabeta said cheerily. _Wait… Work? Work! That's right! The case!_

"This is great and all," Gilbert frowned, "but I really, really have to go to work."

"I'll be here," Elizabeta smiled. Gilbert nodded tensely and got dressed and left the apartment complex as quickly as possible. He had enough money for a bus ticket, so he made his way quickly to the police station—it was, much to Gilbert's relief, only two stops away.

* * *

><p>Lukas was hovering over the pictures while Matt was doing research on the computer when Gilbert burst into the office, panting.<p>

"I'm sorry I'm late!" He huffed. _Man, I'm getting out of shape._

"Where were you?" Matt questioned angrily, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"… My girlfriend's place," Gilbert said, blushing. Lukas and Matt turned to Gilbert in surprise.

"You have a girlfriend?" Matt and Lukas asked at the same time. Lukas said it a way that was in disbelief, but was able to go back to his work with a little huff—he didn't really care. Just surprised somebody would actually go for _Gilbert_, out of all people.

Matt, on the other hand, was hurt beyond words. He stared at Gilbert, his thoughts mirroring Lukas', and Gilbert thought he could see Matt's eyes watering before he turned back to Gilbert's computer. He knew for sure that Matt was hurt… But it was worth it. He had to get Matt off of his back. Matt couldn't hold on forever on a straight guy.

"Good job," Matt complimented tightly.

Silence.

"So what have you guys found out?" Gilbert asked as he dragged an extra chair up from the corner of the room.

"Well, they both immigrated two years ago," Matt started, "and the man worked in a factory a few kilometres south of this area, in the industrial farms. The girl was living with foster parents, but their house burned down the same day she was murdered. We think the murderer killed them too so there were no loose ends. The couple had no siblings, children or parents."

"Well then the case is done!" Gilbert exclaimed. Lukas turned to him and asked what he meant.

"Well, there are no loose ends right?" Matt and Lukas nodded thoughtfully, "So we don't have to worry about anything! Just funeral arrangements for neighbours or something."

"You're right…" Lukas said and stood, "All I have to do is figure out the way he murdered her. Then we're done."

"We finished the case!" Gilbert exclaimed happily. High-fives were exchanged, and they went home for lunch.

Gilbert's day was again turning around in a reasonable direction.

Now all he had to do was face Matt and Ludwig about Elizabeta. Matt needed to wake up and Ludwig was going to have an early answer to his unasked question about location.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Another chapter done!<p>

Really dramatic and this is starting to take a turn for the worst... In terms of writing quality. And pace. Well, at least I think? I'll try to improve the next chapter.

Anyways, happy New Years! Let's hope 2015 is better than 2014!

Cheers,

~Awesome Maple


	24. Chapter 24

Since it's the New Year and I wrote this entire chapter today, I decided I didn't want to keep all you guys in the dark for an entire 3 days... Especially Illead. I think this will make you very happy. So as a Happy New Years gift, I will do a double-upload! Wow! 3 uploads in 2 days!

_THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO ILLEAD. _

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: Hetalia isn't mine.

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><p><strong>Chapter 24<strong>

That evening, Gilbert confronted Ludwig and told him about Elizabeta, and made a plan that when the yearlong job with Matt would end, he would move out.

Winter ended, spring came and went, and summer took over. It all happened so fast that Gilbert couldn't believe, that July 1st was already Matt's birthday.

It was an even stranger feeling when he was helping Matt pack up to leave.

Their relationship hadn't really improved or gone anywhere, for the two men. They didn't bond—if anything, Matt grew more distance since he had eventually met Elizabeta. If there was anything good in Matt's life, it was that Sakura's stomach was swelling, and by the last day of July, when they came to pick up Matt from Gilbert's place to drive him home, she was already seven months pregnant. He was happy for his best friend.

Elizabeta and Gilbert became happy together and grew to be very serious as a couple, and Gilbert was wondering if he wanted to be with Elizabeta permanently, for life. She really was an amazing and beautiful woman. She was smart, funny, and loved to goof off with Gilbert.

Gilbert and Matt parted ways and never spoke again. Gilbert tried contacting Matt but could never get hold of him. At first he thought it was because he had to readjust to the paramedic lifestyle—going from erratic times to a solid schedule, but later, he concluded that he was avoiding him.

On Matt's end, he had become as sour as he had been a year ago, reverting to his old self. He never spoke to his parents or Alfred again. He continued to hate his Cuban neighbour and whenever he thought of Gilbert, hated himself for even liking him.

Ludwig and Feliciana got married in April and Ludwig finished up an engineering degree and started working on building a new cinema nearby, whilst Feliciana got a raise for her teaching students art class at the high school.

Gilbert moved out and lived with Elizabeta, and banished Matt from his thoughts. Matt brought back both good and bad memories—but they were, above all, incredibly intense and distracting. Also, he got a raise, and started going for morning jogs with Elizabeta.

* * *

><p><strong>One Year Later…<strong>

Gilbert was awoken at 5:03 in the morning by the phone's shrill ring, and he promptly woke up. It made him sort of sad that he always woke Elizabeta up because of the sound, but she didn't mind, as long as he stopped the noise and left quickly so she could catch some more shut-eye.

"Hey Mathias," Gilbert yawned and got dressed, "what's up?"

"_Huge fire downtown_," Mathias informed him through the phone, "_tons of people are injured. There are still paramedics at the scene but we need officers—Vargas is going to meet you there—to observe the scene before they mess it up even more."_

"Gotcha!" Gilbert hung up and grabbed the fax out of his printer. Seeing the address on the paper in front of him, he kissed his girlfriend's forehead and wrote her a cute little note, fed Gilbird—he brought his little bird along with him—and grabbed his ready-to-go breakfast and shovelled it down his throat as he drove.

He arrived at the giant burning orphanage and parked, flashing his badge at any inquiring officers. The yellow tape wasn't up yet, but he saw rookie Yao Wang holding the tape proudly and ready to put it around the parameters once he would be given the command by his higher officer that was in charge of him.

"Vargas!" Inspector Beildschmidt tapped his subordinate's shoulder, and officer Vargas led him nearer to the building after a muttered hello and little swear words thrown in here or there.

Gilbert watched in amazement as fire fighters put out the orange flames and carried people out of the massive building. Suddenly, a fire fighter brought out a child, but there was no paramedic that was there. Making eye contact, Gilbert walked out, despite Vargas' protests, and took the child gently out of the fire fighter's arms and laid the kid on the grass about 50 metres away to inspect him.

The child was full of second-degree burns and Gilbert knew the child had inhaled a lot of smoke based on his breathing—he hadn't forgotten his paramedic training, apparently.

"Romano, I need a—" Gilbert started, but a paramedic's boots came into his view and he looked up.

"I'll take it from here," the voice was gruff, and Gilbert was taken aback for a second, before squinting.

"… Matt?" Gilbert frowned as his long-gone friend crouched before him.

"Gilbert?" Matt's hair was long and in a pony-tail (as per usual), his stubble was back in full swing and it was obvious he wasn't taking care of himself enough. Matt shook his head and took the child in his arms silently to put onto the stretcher where his partner was ready to wheel the child into the ambulance.

"Wait! Matt!" Gilbert called as Matt headed into the driver's seat, "Matt!"

Matt drove off without another word, ambulance lights blaring.

* * *

><p>"Hello?" Gilbert picked up the home phone. He had solved the case later that afternoon—long story short, it was a suicide bomber—and was pondering, thinking about Matt. Matt looked so different… Hell, he'd forgotten about Matt completely. He hoped that Matt would have called him later that day, and was jumpy, waiting for the phone.<p>

"_Hello, it's Roderich_," Gilbert sighed angrily. He had hoped it was Matt. But still… This _was_ his friend.

"What's up?" Gilbert asked, attempting to be cheery.

"_I just wanted to let you know that I am back in town and am getting married!_"

"Um… What?" Gilbert frowned. What the hell was up with all these marriages and fucking babies? Feliciana and Ludwig were just married and Feli was one-month preggo, Sakura and Lars had been expecting a child, the last time he heard of them, and had just married as well. In fact, he had attended that wedding…

"_I'm getting married, Gilbert,_" Roderich repeated, "_are you deaf? Also, would you like to meet her?_"

"Sure," Gilbert grumbled, then brightened, "I'll bring my girlfriend along!"

"_Haha… _You_ got a girlfriend?_" Roderich scoffed on the other end of the phone.

"Weird, right?" Gilbert chuckled, "She's great. Does the restaurant The International sound good? 19:00 tonight?"

"_Sure,_" Roderich agreed on the other line, "_I'll see you then! I think you'll really like her. She's wonderful._"

"Awesome!" Gilbert said, and then hung up. He called Elizabeta.

"Hey baby," Gilbert told her as soon as she picked up, "want to go to The International tonight?"

"_Sure…_" Elizabeta said, sounding unsure. Maybe she was distracted by something?

"Awesome! I'll pick you up—"

"_No,_" Elizabeta disagreed, "_I can get there myself, okay?_"

"Oh… Okay!" Gilbert nodded enthusiastically, even though Elizabeta couldn't see the movement. They hung up.

All thoughts of Matt were gone from that German mind.

* * *

><p>Gilbert arrived in a dressy-casual outfit at the wonderful restaurant. He had spent his 27th birthday here and loved the smell and wonderful, peaceful atmosphere. He closed his eyes as he sat down in his booth, his side facing the entrance.<p>

He breathed in deeply and listened carefully to the clink of utensils and the multitude of languages when he heard the door open. Cracking an eye open, he grinned widely and waved as Roderich headed his way after making eye contact. The window he was by let in a warm August breeze.

"Hey Roddy!" Gilbert slapped his friend's back as Roderich took the booth seat across from him. He wasn't able to see the door from his angle.

"Hello Gilbert," his Austrian friend cracked a smile.

"When's your fiancée showing up?" Gilbert asked after a moment of silence.

"Seven PM sharp," he informed him, and Gilbert raised his eyebrows in surprise, "So is mine!"

Gilbert checked his watch. Ten seconds until seven—he looked at the door and his wonderful girlfriend opened the door in all her glory.

"She's here," Gilbert said as she approached, "I guess my girlfriend is more punctual than your fiancée." The Austrian frowned, saying she was usually very punctual. Elizabeta entered Roderich's field of vision and he smiled.

"Roderich," Gilbert started with a wide smile, "this is my girlfriend."

"What?" The Austrian man frowned, his eyes narrowing, "This is my fiancée."

"No," Gilbert also narrowed his eyes, "what are you talking about? She's my girlfriend!" His voice raised and the booth behind him quieted.

"Elizabeta?" Roderich and Gilbert turned to the girl in question simultaneously.

"Err…" She bit her lip, "I'm sorry…" She looked between the two confused men, whose expressions were slowly darkening, "I'm sorry…" She faced Gilbert, "I'm sorry Gilbert."

"What do you mean?" Gilbert raised his voice a little bit, "Is this a joke?"

"No," Elizabeta said shamefully, and Roderich looked at her in disbelief, "is this why you didn't want me at your house? So the 'house renovations' story was a lie?"

"What the hell?" Gilbert stood and shouted, "Why did you do it?" The whole restaurant quieted and watched the scene before them.

"I'm really sorry, both of you," Elizabeta bit her lip and turned to Gilbert, "I was going to dump you—"

"You were _what?_" Gilbert positively shouted at this point, "You were dating both of us and you are leaving me for this… This _prick_? Just because he asked first?"

"… Yes," Elizabeta nodded. Gilbert shook with rage, and Roderich was dumbstruck.

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT," Gilbert yelled, pointing at the door, "NOW."

"Gilbert—"

"NOW," Gilbert's chest heaved as his eyes watered. People stared in shock as the Hungarian and Austrian traitors left, and Gilbert shouted, just as they were almost out of the door, "AND I WANT EVERYTHING I OWN ON MY LAWN BY TOMORROW MORNING! INCLUDING GILBIRD!"

The restaurant door slammed.

A fork clattered to the floor and the entire restaurant was silent as Gilbert sank back into his booth and began sobbing into his arms.

Complete silence.

"… Sir?" A timid waiter walked up to Gilbert, and Gilbert simply fished out a $100 bill from his wallet.

"Buy me all the alcohol you can using this," he muttered, his head still buried in his arms. The waiter gently took the bill from Gilbert's open hand and told him he would bring it out to his car.

The restaurant's eyes followed Gilbert as he walked outside and stood by car, his trunk open. The waiter soon came out with at least five or six different types of alcohol bottles and he helped Gilbert load it into his car. Gilbert told him to keep the change, tipped him fifty dollars and tore out of the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Ludwig and Feliciana were busy eating dinner when they heard heavy pounding on their door. Worried, Ludwig told Feliciana to stand back as he grabbed an umbrella and gently opened the door.<p>

Gilbert burst through, bawling, put his case of alcohol on the ground, and ran into his younger brother's arms.

"Shh…" Ludwig stroked Gilbert's white hair and held him tightly as he made a motion with his eyes to tell his wife to close the door and bring the alcohol down if she could. She was able to bring it all down in three trips and Gilbert simply cried into his bother's shoulder.

"I'll leave you two alone," Feliciana whispered and Ludwig nodded, leading his wrecked brother downstairs. She cleaned up the dinner table and headed off to bed, listening to some music to block out Gilbert's howls.

Ludwig, knowing his brother, grabbed some tissues and cracked open two beers. Gilbert grabbed the tissues thankfully and blew his nose and drank some beer. Ludwig and Feliciana had left the basement for Gilbert because they had no real use for it. They had turned the guest room into a room for the baby in the future and used Gilbert's room as a guest room if needed.

"What happened?" Ludwig asked, rubbing his brother's muscular shoulder and taking a sip of his own beer.

"I don't…" Gilbert shoved his face in his arms, "I don't want to talk about it." Ludwig nodded understandingly.

"Do you want me to call somebody?" He asked. Maybe Gilbert didn't want to talk to Ludwig, but maybe he would talk to a friend. "Romano? Do you want to talk to Feli? Mathias?"

"Call…" Gilbert said hoarsely, "Call Matt. Or go get him." Ludwig was surprised, but he squeezed his brother's shoulder and set his practically untouched beer onto the coffee table that was between the couch and the TV.

"Okay. I'll be back in around an hour," Ludwig informed his older brother in his Ludwig-y way, and ran up the steps.

* * *

><p>Matt was sitting, frustrated, on the couch when his doorbell rang. Why was it that when he thought of Gilbert his heart started pounding? He was angry for feeling this way when he'd seen Gilbert earlier that day. He was probably happy with his stupid girlfriend. The doorbell rang again and Matt got off the couch.<p>

Matt was taken aback when he saw Ludwig standing at his apartment's doorstep.

"Um…" Ludwig started, awkwardly, and Matt saw the gold ring on Ludwig's left hand flash. That reminded him that Gilbert wasn't at home… That he had a girlfriend.

"What?" Matt spat, "What do _you_ want?"

"Gilbert needs you," Ludwig said quietly, "I know it seems unlikely, but it is incredibly important that you come with me."

"… Fine," Matt agreed after a few seconds and grabbed his stuff. He was wearing his jeans as he had planned to go out for a walk later that evening, but now he had to see the Asshole—Asshole with a capital 'A'. That was his nickname for Gilbert at this point.

"Matt!" Gilbert saw Matt come down the stairs and flung himself at the Canadian. Matt's heart pounded.

"Can you figure out what's wrong with him?" Ludwig asked, and Matt nodded dutifully. He guessed he would be here for a while, judging by the five or six beers that were opened and the Amaretto currently held loosely in Gilbert's hand. Ludwig closed the door.

"Come on Gilbert," Matt dragged Gilbert to the couch, and was surprised as Gilbert put down his alcohol and basically pounced on Matt, hugging him tightly.

"Tell me what's wrong," Matt commanded Gilbert softly. Gilbert snuggled deeper.

"Elizabeta…" He slurred, "She… She ditchd me. She's a lyin' bitch. She loved Roddy and ditched me…" Matt frowned unsure what to say. This guy was drunk and it would be hard figuring out what happened. Well, Elizabeta left, he knew that.

"She donesnt like or love me, nope, not anymore," Gilbert continued, and then looked at Matt's worried face, "you are soooo pretty Mattie. You need to shave… But that's okay… Did ya know that? You preeeetty." Matt's heart started beating faster and Gilbert put an ear to Matt's chest.

"Ooh…" the drunken man grinned lazily, "You're exciteeed." Without hesitation or warning, Matt yelped as Gilbert grabbed Matt's crotch, which immediately hardened. He tried to pry his hand off, but Gilbert simply grabbed Matt's prying hand and kissed it.

"Yourrr my princesseee…" Gilbert slurred, "You're so fuckin pretty Mattie. Kiss meee…!" Matt didn't have time to react, as Gilbert, even drunk, was strong enough to pull Matt under him completely, lay on him, and was able to kiss the confused Canadian. Sure, Matt was fucking _loving_ this, but he knew it was wrong.

"Kiss meee…" Gilbert wrapped his legs around Matt's and squeezed, immobilizing him. Matt could feel Gilbert's hard-on and was blushing madly as Gilbert grabbed Matt's face and kissed him sloppily, but Matt could still feel the attempted passion.

_He's drunk, Matt,_ Matt fought with himself as he tried to ignore the fact that they both wanted each other, _but then again… Drunken people are honest people, usually. And Gilbert's an honest drunk._

"Why…" Gilbert broke apart from the messy kiss and Matt took a deep breath of oxygen, "Why did you leave meee? Mattie… I shouldn't have let youu… gooo…" Gilbert's hands moved down his Canadian partner's chest and down to his pants and started sucking his shirt. Matt stifled a laugh. Gilbert was trying to give him a hickey but was instead just wetting his shirt. He took his phone out of his pocket and took a picture for blackmail purposes before putting it back in his pocket as Gilbert's hands continued to trail downwards.

"Whoa!" Matt grabbed Gilbert's roaming hands as Gilbert started to attempt to undo Matt's zipper, "Stop Gilbert, you don't know what you're doing." It pained him to say it, but now that he knew what Gilbert was feeling, he wouldn't mind attempting to do these things _sober._

"Yes I doo…" Gilbert frowned and looked up at the hockey player, "I like you toosies Mattie."

"You're straight," Matt informed Gilbert, but the drunk German shook his head so violently, Matt had to hold his companion's head still so he didn't get a crick in his neck.

"Noooo I'm bi," Gilbert attempted to get to Matt's pants again, and Matt let him try a little longer before stopping him, "I'm bi. Bi bi bi bi bi bye bye baby."

"Gilbert _stop_," Matt growled, and shoved Gilbert off of him. Gilbert pouted as Matt dragged him to the bed. He made a swipe for the Amaretto, but Matt impeded him to do so. Matt pushed Gilbert onto the bed and saw out of the corner of his eye that it was nearly midnight and he was getting tired.

Gilbert pulled Matt on top of him and Matt grinned. Now he could pin Gilbert so he would stop.

"We're going to sleep, okay?" Matt asked Gilbert as he pinned Gilbert's arms so they couldn't do anything anymore. Gilbert nodded and dozed off, and Matt let himself sleep too, proud that he had such good self-restraint.

* * *

><p>Gilbert woke up and he had to pee. He knew it was night because it was still dark outside, and he wiggled out from under Matt and stumbled to the bathroom, throwing up (and not waking Matt up apparently?) and taking a good, long piss.<p>

Gilbert stopped to look at the sleeping Canadian hazily, as he was still drunk-ish. Man, he liked that Canadian booty. He crawled onto the bed and tried taking off his own pants, but they got caught around his knees so he gave up and went to admire Matt's manly butt. So what did Gilbert's drunk brain think was a good idea?

To sit with his pants around his knees, his boxers still on, and he decided to poke and squeeze and put his head on Matt's butt. Man…

He _loved_ Matt's butt.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>YAY! OMFG I AM SO HAPPY! I HAD TO GET RID OF ELIZABETA AND THEN I FINALLY WROTE THE BREAKUP SCENE BECAUSE I'M AN AUSHUN SHIPPER AND I'M SO HAPPY!<p>

Thank you for all such sweet reviews! You make my day.

~Awesome Maple


	25. Chapter 25

**ANNOUNCEMENTS: (PLEASE READ ALL OF THEM).**

**1.** I have Chapter 25 (Sunday AKA today/this one/3rd of January), Chapter 26 (Thursday, 8th of January), and then the Epilogue & Thank you (Sunday, 11th of January). And then it's done! I've almost finished writing everything.

**2.** I will start the sequel (Romance, Angst) probably the next Sunday (18th of January, Gilbert's birthday! What a coinkydink!).

**3.** I need an opinion! After the sequel... **Would you prefer to read (choose one):**

**a)** 1p!Canada x 1p!Prussia, 1950s (Crime, Adventure) (with a dash of Romance) OR

**b) **2p!Canada x 1p!Prussia, 1950s (Crime, Adventure) (with a dash of Romance) OR

**c)** 1 shots of all 1p!Countries meeting real people (example: Ludwig meeting Hitler) (General, General) OR

**d)** 2p!Canada x 1p!Fem!Prussia, steampunk (Fantasy, Adventure) (with a dash of Romance & lots of Crime) ?

Please let me know!

LET'S GET IT ON. Btw school tomorrow eww...

ALSO IF YOU DON'T LIKE OC*s (I hate them but oh well lol) **THERE IS AN OC IN THIS CHAPTER***. (*Original Character, for those who don't know the term).

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia... Which could be fun, because then I could make this ship canon. Let's hope Hima reads this! (lol jk but seriously it would be cool).

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25<strong>

Matt awoke the next morning with something on his butt, and he wondered where he was when he realized what had happened last night. Turning over, he saw Gilbert's head resting lovingly on his ass, his pale hand mid-caress. Matt, with difficulty, pulled his phone out of his pocket and snapped a picture. Best blackmail ever.

The wall clock read 10:36, much to Matt's content—then he realized he had his job to do, but then relaxed when he realized he didn't have work today.

"Matt?" Gilbert drawled out, and Matt snapped his head back in Gilbert's direction.

"Sorry!" Gilbert frowned and pushed away from Matt's butt and sat up, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it—"

"Did you really?" Matt asked as he sat up as well. He looked at Gilbert dead in the eye. _Was I looking too far into it? Did Gilbert actually like me?_

Gilbert looked at Matt's blank face. He observed all of Matt's little details and recalled how he called Matt pretty last night—well; Matt certainly has the looks, now that Gilbert was able to view him in a non-hetero lens. He observed Matt's bed-head and his rumpled clothes. His sourness wasn't present on his face right now… Nothing was. It was just Matt at face value.

Did Gilbert like Matt at face value?

… Yes. Yes he did.

Gilbert slowly nodded, "I meant everything I said, Matt."

Carefully, Gilbert edged closer to Matt and placed a delicate kiss on the other man's lips—and was able to fully cherish it. Without the worries of being fired, without the confusion that he was straight or bisexual, without all the problems involved or anything that bothered him… He must have eaten caterpillars for lunch yesterday, because he felt like he was giving birth to butterflies.

Gilbert leaned in more and realized how much better Matt was over any other girl. How dare he think he would have liked to spend the rest of his life with Elizabeta when he had Matt waiting for him the whole time? Good riddance to that skank. Sure, she was wonderful, but she was a liar. She broke Gilbert's heart… But now, he had somebody to heal him, and make everything much better. Not only would Matt fix him, but he would get more... Probably.

"I…" Gilbert pulled away and Matt looked crestfallen, expecting Gilbert to take it all back, "I care about you Matt. I care about you more…" he swallowed nervously, "I guess I care about you more than Elizabeta."

"So?" Matt frowned in confusion, not understanding.

"Um…" Gilbert scratched his pale head, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I regret being with her and I should have tried with you…?"

Matt looked unimpressed.

"I mean," Gilbert tried to redeem himself with further, stammered explanation, "I know this is all… Err, sudden and I'm, um, I'm having a killer hangover, but would you like to… What I mean is…"

"Spit it out," Matt rolled his eyes, 100% confident he knew what the question was.

"Would you like to be my boyfriend?" Gilbert spilled the beans. The name 'boyfriend' sounded so strange on his tongue. Only in the last few months had he begun to discover he was bisexual, but never did he ever dream of losing his girlfriend—but furthermore, having a _boy_friend instead.

"I think," Matt paused, "yes." Matt's almost constantly-frowning face broke into a bright smile and Gilbert gave himself the full freedom to get his breath taken away by the handsomeness of this normal-looking, plain face. He wasn't extraordinary; neither of them was, in fact (apart from Gilbert partial albinism, that is), but Gilbert was still able to pick out the best of Matt's features. Matt was back to wearing his glasses, thus hiding his mind-illusion eyes. That made Gilbert sad. He liked Matt's eyes.

"I've got to make a quick phone call," Matt informed Gilbert after a moment of silence, a wicked grin on his face. Gilbert nodded and went to change his shirt and pants, which smelt of alcohol. He pushed back embarrassing memories from the previous night.

* * *

><p>Lars was busy tending to his flowers when Sakura called that the phone was for him. He had a feeling he knew it was Matt, mainly because Matt was the only person who would call him—everybody else called Sakura or Sakura dealt with the calls for the house.<p>

"Hello?" Lars wiggled his gardening gloves off and took the phone out of his wife's hand with a smile before turning to look at his tulip masterpiece.

"_Hey, it's Matt…_" Lars wanted to groan—he could hear that tone of voice. It was the special Gilbert tone.

"Are you ever going to let go of him?" Lars asked, a little frustrated.

"_Haha,_" Lars heard Matt's laughter and he became suspicious before Matt continued, "_Gilbert and I are dating!_"

"What?" Lars asked in disbelief. It's not possible… Gilbert was straight!

"_Nope,_" Matt contradicted Lars' thoughts (he knew Lars too well), "_he's mine. Gilbert say hello to Lars._"

"_Hi Lars!_"

"Well…" Lars scratched his head and sat on his porch, "Congrats? Do you want to come over later for a snack in the afternoon? 16:00 sound good?"

"_Sure!_" Matt nearly _giggled_, and Lars grinned as they bid farewell. He was proud of his bestie—Matt was finally happy. And he would get to see Gilbert. Lars liked Gilbert; Gilbert was cool, and made great enhancements in his best friend's life.

"Hey honey?" Lars called into the house, and Sakura took the phone with a "Yes?"

"I invited Matt to come over at four in the afternoon today," Lars informed his wife, and she nodded ecstatically.

"I can't wait to see Matt! He can meet Kaatje!" Sakura was excited to see Matt. He had yet to see their almost one year-old daughter.

"He's also bringing Gilbert," he grinned, and Sakura's face fell into confusion.

"Wait…"

"They're dating, apparently," Lars shrugged, Sakura squeaked happily, and then stated she was very proud of them. Finally, Matt could be happy.

* * *

><p>Gilbert walked up the steps, his head pounding and called the station in as sick before settling down for an early lunch. Ludwig approached his older brother and asked him how he was doing.<p>

The partial albino looked at Matt, grinned and said, "Really good," he sipped his tea, "really, really good."

"Do you want to tell us what happened, Gilbert? With Elizabeta?" Ludwig inquired a few moments later, and Gilbert's expression darkened.

"Well," Gilbert sat down at the stool, "Elizabeta was dating Roderich—remember, the Austrian pianist?" Ludwig nodded and Gilbert continued, "Well, she was dating both of us at the same time, and he proposed first, I guess? So she dumped me in the restaurant… And yeah."

"That sucks," Matt patted his new boyfriend's shoulder, and Gilbert added, "but Luddy, meet Matt, my new boyfriend."

"Um…" Ludwig stammered, "Congratulations?"

"Thanks," Matt grinned. Ludwig wasn't exactly homophobic—he just didn't expect it. I mean this was _Gilbert_, a total womanizer.

The doorbell suddenly rang, and Gilbert frowned again, "That must be all my stuff," Gilbert saw the confused faces and continued, "I asked Elizabeta to bring all my stuff and put it on my lawn."

With that he walked over to the front entrance and opened the door. Outside were around six boxes with all his stuff, plus Gilbird in his cage. Elizabeta was nowhere in sight.

"What should I do with all of it?" Gilbert questioned Ludwig and Matt. Matt had a bright idea.

"How about you move in with me?" He asked confidently.

"Huh?" Gilbert and Ludwig huh'd simultaneously.

"I mean," Matt walked over to Gilbert's stuff and rested his hand on a box, "You don't really have space for this stuff in your basement, and you don't want to bug Feli and Ludwig, right?" Gilbert nodded, and Matt continued.

"Well, we've lived together before. I don't mind your erratic schedule—plus, we're dating now. It makes sense," Matt finished and Gilbert nodded enthusiastically.

"I guess I should load my stuff in my car then!" Gilbert grinned and the two went ahead and packed all of Gilbert's junk into his trunk while Ludwig went to check up on Feli. Since she was one month pregnant, she had a tendency to sleep in.

The couple had been unlucky when it came to child bearing, and had to implant Ludwig's sperm into Feliciana in a Petri dish, and Feli had been warned that she might face complications at birth—but she had always wanted a child, so they took the chance.

* * *

><p>"Home sweet home," Gilbert said as the two managed to bring up all of Gilbert's stuff in one go as he kicked the door open. They decided they would take the day off to rearrange the entire house to accommodate—no—<em>integrate<em> Gilbert into the apartment. At 15:50 they would leave to see their Dutch friend and his Japanese wife.

"Haha…" Matt locked the door behind him, and informed Gilbert he had to go to the bathroom.

In there, he shaved and tweezed his eyebrows and basically made himself look much more presentable. When he came back, all cleaned up, he found Gilbert sitting on the couch and staring at him.

"What?" Matt asked, cocking an eyebrow. Gilbert silently moved to an unnerved Matt and took his face gently in his hands.

"I'm sorry Matt," Gilbert apologized, "I'm sorry for leaving you when we stopped working together, I'm sorry I hurt you—"

"Oh shut up," Matt grinned, "it's okay. I've got you now, and that's all that matters."

Gilbert returned the grin and took a small step forward, bringing his lips to Matt's and giving him a good, long kiss that he'd surely been waiting for.

Finally, he was truly happy.

* * *

><p>Matt took the honour of ringing Lars' doorbell and a few seconds later a tall blond man with spiked hair opened the door and gave Matt a bro hug and Gilbert a firm handshake.<p>

"It's nice to see you two together, Gilbert," Lars addressed Gilbert as they entered the threshold, "finally Matt will shut up about you."

"Shush!" Matt slapped Lars' arm and he laughed a hearty laugh, leading them into the living room where Sakura was sitting with an eight-month child sitting on her lap.

"Hey Sakura," Matt greeted her with a casual wave of his hand, admiring the child, "long time no see."

"You too," Sakura smiled sweetly, and patted the couch on either side of her as she greeted Gilbert as well.

"This is Kaatje," Sakura placed a small kiss on her little girl's head and handed her to Matt.

"Kaatje is a Dutch name that means 'pure'," Lars grinned as he informed them, "we saw her blue eyes and we immediately saw that Kaatje was the perfect name for her."

"That's awesome," Gilbert said softly as he was given the baby. Matt could immediately see Gilbert's love for children as he held her tenderly in his arms, and he briefly wondered how long their relationship would last and the word 'adoption' flashed through his mind for a second before he snapped himself out of his thought with a blush.

Gilbert passed a giggling Kaatje to Sakura and they enjoyed a great afternoon before heading back home that evening.

* * *

><p>Matt pinned Gilbert down as they began to fool around, the front door safely locked—they double-checked—and the bedroom door closed to keep Gilbird and Kumajirou out. Surprisingly, the animals cooperated and even liked each other.<p>

They kissed passionately and sincerely, and Gilbert realized over and over again that Matt was really the best decision he'd ever made—that is, the decision to fully accept his bisexuality.

Matt's hands shook a bit as he tried to undo Gilbert's pant zipper, and Gilbert stopped him.

"I'll do it," he murmured softly, and wiggled out of them awkwardly. Matt glanced down and saw the black and yellow tattoo on his lover's hip. Curious, he reached to pull down Gilbert's boxers a little bit downwards, but Gilbert blushed and flipped Matt over with a surprising force, taking off his shirt once he was straddling Matt.

He expertly was able to undress Matt, and he too noticed a small tattoo on Matt's hip—on the same hipbone as Gilbert's. Before Matt could blink, that side of his boxers were pulled down to reveal a small maple leaf. What could he say? He was a patriotic guy in his teens. Taking advantage of Gilbert curiosity, Matt flipped Gilbert over, nearly knocking the wind out of him, and took the advantage to straddle him and also inspect his tattoo.

And he promptly burst out laughing, falling onto the other side of the bed. Why?

Well, you see, Gilbert had a tattoo of Gilbird of about half his size in real life. Under it were two hatch marks. Under the tattoo was written 'Gilbird' in a fancy font.

"I have Gilbird because," Gilbert, completely red in the face, tried to explain, "he was my only real friend… Well, the hatch marks are basically how many Gilbirds I've had. I had my first Gilbird from ages ten until twenty, the second twenty-one to twenty seven, which is now—stop laughing!" Gilbert slapped Matt's arm as Matt started to nearly cry from laughter.

"Well I guess this dumb tattoo sort of ruined the moment, didn't it?" Gilbert asked sourly, crossing his arms.

"Yeah," Matt laughed, and checked the clock, "well, it's already 1:00 AM. I think we should sleep anyways."

"Sorry for ruining—"

"It's okay," Matt held back a few more giggles, "I now know what to expect when—" He suddenly stopped, getting red. Gilbert cuddled closer, intertwining his legs with Matt's.

"When we do what?" Gilbert asked seductively.

"When we have…" Matt looked away, "You know…"

Gilbert grinned, "Sex?" Matt's face flamed and now it was Gilbert's turn to laugh.

"You're such a virgin!" He laughed, and if it was possible, Matt got even redder. Gilbert stopped laughing and looked at Matt incredulously, "Are you actually still a virgin?"

"No," Matt couldn't make eye contact with Gilbert, "its just, well… It's been a long time."

"That's okay," Gilbert snuggled into Matt, "I don't mind." Matt nodded and yawned.

"I love you," he muttered as he dozed off, and Gilbert's eyes widened. When Matt didn't hear the return confession, he promptly woke up, but didn't dare look up at his new lover's face. Gilbert thought and thought, the gears churning in his mind. Finally he came to an eye-opening conclusion. He hadn't really thought about it, but…

"I guess," Gilbert started, "I love you too."

With that, they fell asleep, truly happy. They'd finally found the love of their life.

Finally, they were truly, sincerely, in love.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>I HAVE A WARM FUZZY FEELING IN MY STOMACH AND THIS WAS LIKE THE BEST THING EVER. Moved kind of fast, but it made sense to me. And I was planning the Gilbird tattoo moment for a LONG time. Lol. I hope it made you laugh a bit!<p>

SO PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME OPTION a), b), c) OR d)! I _really_ want (and NEED) to know, so I know what to plan for! I think I can do c) simultaneously with either a), b) or d)... Tell me what you think! Updates would still be Sundays & Thursdays. Not too keen on a), jsut saying, because there are tons and tons of 1p!Canada x 1p!Prussia fics out there, whereas I am _literally_ a pioneer in this fic. I haven't found any other full-length fics of 2p!Canada x 1p!Prussia! (Not to brag, or anything... lol).

I love you all... GET READY FOR SUPER FLUFF NEXT CHAPTER. LIKE, SUPER SUPER MEGA FLUFF OF _DOOM_ YOU WILL DIE OF CUTENESS 99% GUARANTEED (if you have no true love for this ship, at least). Thank you for all the beautiful reviews... Let's do this! Last leg of the journey!

Note: that was the last "TO BE CONTINUED..." you will see in this fic... _Let that sink in_.

~Awesome Maple


	26. Chapter 26

This is the end of the book! We've come so far, from October 20th to now, January 8th. The epilogue is going up on Sunday! So you'll get one last glimpse at our awesome couple. As for the options for "next story to read" once I finish the sequel (which will be short, most likely), option d is becoming popular (Fem!Prussia x 2p!Canada).

Okay so two songs are mentioned and I want you to play them as you read that part! The first is "**A Thousand Years**" cover by **ThePianoGuys** (YouTube) and the second is "**Wedding Dance**" by **Tchaikovsky**. (Go to Google, type "wedding dance Tchaikovsky", and go to grooveshark. com link (first page of Google, 4th link down)). Have those tabs open at the ready!

Btw lots of OCs.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Hetalia.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 26<strong>

**Two Years Later…**

"Hey Mattie," Gilbert called his now two-year boyfriend on his mobile phone, "can you come over to the station? In like, thirty to forty five minutes?"

"_How come, Gil?_" Matt inquired, and Gilbert swallowed nervously, "It's a surprise."

"_Sure,_" Gilbert could imagine Matt nodding on the other side. They bid goodbye.

"I'm so nervous," Gilbert confessed, for the fiftieth time that day as he fiddled with his purple tie. Romano, Mathias, Lukas, and basically the whole the station were down in the main entrance. That is, everybody except the people working with 911 calls. It was amazing he had this much support.

"You'll be fine," Romano slapped Gilbert's hands away from his tie friend's half-heartedly. Lars was standing by with Sakura and a now three-year old Kaatje.

"Trust me," Lars patted Gilbert's shoulder, "Matt will like it."

"You sure?" Gilbert asked, his hands going back to his tie, and Mathias shoved flowers into Gilbert's hand to stop his nervous fiddling.

"I'm his best friend, of course I'm sure!" Lars grinned. He was about to say something else, but suddenly, Lukas, who was 'on guard' at the door said loudly the words Gilbert did _not_ want to hear.

"He's here!"

Everybody immediately scrambled out of sight. Matt was early! It was expected though. Matt was _always_ early. Gilbert stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, sweating, and hoped his sweat marks wouldn't be visible through his suit. A white handkerchief was thrown from behind him, and he mopped the sweat off his brow before chucking it back to the source with a muttered thank you. An Australian "you're welcome, mate!" replied. The lights went out as Matt approached the building. _A Thousand Years_ cover by ThePianoGuys began to play softly in the background, setting the mood.

Gilbert knew there was a sign outside that said, 'Matt' and pointed to the door. There were fairy lights that suddenly light the doorframe (thanks to Feliciana—it was her idea. I mean, she _is_ an art teacher) and although Matt couldn't see Gilbert, Gilbert could see Matt in the dim light. It was dark outside.

Matt stepped into the pitch black entrance and again, fairy lights suddenly lit up, making the entrance glow. Matt looked around himself in awe before he saw his boyfriend in a suit and tie, one that he had ironed just the night before. Matt walked forward, ready to drill Gilbert with questions, before Gilbert put a finger to his boyfriend's soft lips, which he had gotten to know so well over the years, and cleared his throat.

"Matt," his voice wavered, and he cleared his voice again, "exactly four years ago, I met you here, in this front entrance." He checked Matt's reaction. His eyes were wide and showed a hint of confusion.

"I still remember the sour look you gave me," Gilbert continued with a grin, now confident, "and I spent an amazing year with you, learning how to be a paramedic and then teaching you to become a great cop.

I hit a dark patch in my life when I drifted away from you for nearly an entire year. But then, in my lowest moment, you found me again, and I finally realized how much I really loved you all along. You never left my heart, Matt, even though I had denied it for a long time. I finally came to my senses and realized, after these two years, that you were the one."

Now, the big moment finally arrived.

* * *

><p>Matt watched incredulously as Gilbert dropped to one knee. His eyes started to water. He blinked rapidly and stifled a nervous giggle as Gilbert fiddled and nearly dropped the box. Matt could see Gilbert shaking. His boyfriend tried to speak, and swallowed nervously.<p>

"Matt," Gilbert finally spat out, opening the box, "will you marry me?"

Matt looked in Gilbert's eyes and watched as Gilbert tried to control his breathing and saw Gilbert probably think that this was a bad choice and that he would be rejected. Did he want to spend the rest of his life with this goof, this amazing man? Moments passed and Matt could see an inner battle in Gilbert's wide eyes, as he was trying to refrain from talking, or maybe take it back. Did he want to spend the rest of his life… Happy?

"Yes," Matt nodded. Gilbert let out a huge sigh of relief and with dexterity put the ring on Matt's finger and let Matt put the matching silver ring onto his finger.

There were three small blue, white and red gems in the middle and around it were the heart rate line thingies—it suddenly dawned on Matt that the red, white and blue represented the police and the heart beat lines represented paramedics. These were the symbols that marked how they met.

"A+ in symbolism Gilbert," Matt chuckled, and Gilbert laughed along.

Suddenly, almost every person working in the station rushed out from hidden places, taking Matt by surprise: behind waiting benches, from behind the walls, to behind plants—they swarmed them and mini fireworks went off and they were thrown into the air, drowning out the song. Matt saw Lars in the background and the two exchanged a grin.

* * *

><p>That night, Matt got the guts to call his parents.<p>

Three rings, and then, "_Hello?_" Matt set it to speaker phone.

"Hey papa, it's Matt," Matt greeted his father over the phone.

"_Matthieu? Is that really you? How are you?_"

"I'm... I'm great. I have some big news."

"_Big news? Do tell me,_"

"I'm getting married."

"_What?_" Francis asked in disbelief, "_Alice, chérie, Mathieu is getting married! Who is the lucky Mademoiselle?_"

"Actually," Matt held Gilbert's hand, "I'm marrying Gilbert."

"_Quoi? Gilbert? Alice he's marrying a man!_"

"Yeah," Matt prepared to defend Gilbert, "he's great, wonderful, he's the love of my life—"

"_No that is wonderful! I don't mind—just as long as you marry the love of your life. Are you sure though?_" Francis drilled him with questions, "_Are you sure he's the right one? I mean, he_ did_ leave you..._" Gilbert grimaced but Matt smiled reassuringly, telling his father that yes, Gilbert was the right one and they'd been together now for two years, which shocked Francis. He hadn't known at Francis and Alice finally came to terms with the fact that Gilbert was going to be their son-in-law, Francis finally asked;

_"When is the wedding?_"

"Um…" Matt looked at Gilbert, and they looked at their calendar, "We're getting married the 1st of October."

"_Where?_" Francis demanded, clearly excited for his son at this point.

"Actually this was why I was calling," Gilbert crossed his fingers as Matt asked the important question, "is it okay if we get married at your house?"

"_Of course!_" Matt breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks papa," he thanked his father and they heard Alice scream a "_Congratulations!_" in the background.

"Can we come over in September to start planning?" Matt asked, and Francis agreed and they hung up.

Matt and Gilbert breathed a huge sigh of relief, again, and looked at each other and burst out laughing. They had been a bundle of nerves the whole time and laughing seemed the best way to let it out at the moment. Now they had to call everybody they knew to invite them and give them the date and location, with a formal invitation later.

The two lovers told their bosses of their situation and were granted the month of September off, as well as the first week of October so they could go for their honeymoon.

* * *

><p>The month of August flew by and in that time, Gilbert was able to go to Germany and back in the time of a week to visit his old grandfather and bring him back for the wedding—and surprisingly, despite being of the older generation, he was very proud of Gilbert and generally accepting.<p>

In the beginning of September, Gilbert and Matt went to his parent's house and Francis and Alice had a lengthy discussion with Gilbert about Matt and how they were proud of the two—they also complimented his choice in engagement ring.

Speaking about rings, Matt and Francis spent an entire day buying wedding suits and wedding bands, and discussed if Alfred should be invited. Matt and Francis had a heart-to-heart discussion about Matt's horrible experience and helped him overcome his anger over Alfred and over a phone call, Matt forgave him. They also spoke to Gilbert about bringing Anya along and he agreed.

It took a long time, but Gilbert eventually convinced the family that they should play _Wedding_ _Dance_ by Tchaikovsky when Matt walked down the aisle. Hey, it was better than the _Gonna Fly Now _from the movie _Rocky Balboa_, which has been the original suggestion. Gilbert won a game of rock paper scissors, which they thought was the best way to determine who would do the walking, much to Matt's distaste.

A month seemed like a long amount of time at first, but when they were a week away, Francis and Alice forced Matt and Gilbert to not be able to see each other, not even when they ate or anything.

But soon enough, the big day finally came.

* * *

><p>Gilbert waited nervously as he heard guests arriving into the garden. The property was huge, so they decided it would be an outdoor wedding, with Lars as their 'priest'. He was, in fact, the first one who really met them and was a true mutual friend. It was a beautiful October day, with bright red, orange and yellow leaves covering the trees like natural fire works. He was still inside the house locked up in a room and wasn't allowed to help with the final details of setting up.<p>

"You'll be fine," Lars rubbed Gilbert's shoulder as they waited in the room together. Customarily, the groom and officiant would walk in through a side door but there wasn't really a door… So they waited inside and would walk in by passing along Matt's side of the guests awkwardly.

The setup was basically the gazebo was where the 'altar' was, and there was a mini fence set up for the occasion decorated with flowers that contained the guests.

Once all the guests were settled, Francis unlocked the door and Gilbert muttered, "I guess it's too late to the bathroom now, isn't it?"

Lars rolled his eyes and wordlessly led the way out and they walked out to the garden and made their way around the guests to their altar. Gilbert tried not to look at the people's faces and succeeded. When he got up there, it was a totally different story.

He first looked at his side. He could see his grandfather, Ludwig, Feli and their two-year-old daughter Bianca in the first row on the wooden benches, along with Romano and Isabella in the second. Romano and Isabella had met up only a month ago and barely remembered each other until they were talking on a blind date and realized whom they were. Gilbert loved to rub in Romano's face that they were now related as brothers-in-law.

Also in the second row was his Hungarian ex—Roderich had helped with the planning of the music and organized it to be live music. Gilbert had quickly gotten over Elizabeta and forgiven her, so he didn't mind her being there. In the third sat Mathias and Lukas—they were still boyfriends, although Mathias told him he was planning a proposal soon enough.

On Matt's side, in the first row was his mother, Alfred, and he dared look, Anya. They had a child named Anastasiya, who was born out of wedlock and was a month old. In the second row was Sakura and Kaatje, along with a fourth family member, their three-week child Kaida. Lars' sister sat beside Sakura. _So many babies,_ Gilbert thought briefly.

Lucille, Matt's cousin, sat in the third row beside Yao but looked very happy and was chatting up a conversation. Yao had switched over to the hospital as he didn't enjoy working as a cop, and Matt and Yao were eventually placed together. They became good friends. Somehow, Tino and Berwald caught wind of the wedding and were invited by Matt, and brought along Peter, and they were currently shuffling over to Gilbert's side of the family. Matt's entire hockey team was invited and occupied the entire last fourth and fifth row.

Suddenly, everybody quieted, and the 2 minutes, 15 seconds lively song made everybody jump at first as Matt walked proudly down the aisle, Francis at his side, leading him up to the makeshift altar. They didn't end up having any bridesmaids or groomsmen mainly because… They didn't really feel like it.

Gilbert watched eagerly as Matt walked up to him and Gilbert's pale face broke into a gigantic smile. By the time the music ended, Matt was standing in front of Gilbert and Lars began the ceremony.

"We are here to_gay_ to celebrate the matrimony of Matt Williams and Gilbert Beildschmidt," Lars started, and Gilbert refrained a laugh at 'togay' instead of 'today'. Hey, it was an LGBTQ wedding, so he convinced Lars to take the opportunity. Matt rolled his eyes as the guests all tried not to laugh. Lars then turned to Gilbert.

"Gilbert Beildschmidt, is it your intention to take Matt Williams as your husband?"

"Yes," Gilbert said in outmost seriousness. Lars turned to Matt.

"Matt Williams, is it your intention to take Gilbert Beildschmidt as your husband?"

"Yes," Matt confirmed, also serious.

"As customary," Lars turned to the guests, "it must be clear that this is not a barbecue, or picnic, or engagement, but a formal wedding." The guests nodded, and Lars added, "Are there any objections?" Everybody shook his or her heads.

"I now call forth the witnesses to sign the official marriage certificate," Lars made a small gesture, and Ludwig walked up. Matt and Gilbert signed first, and then Lars and Ludwig. They had decided Lars because he was Matt's best friend and the officiant, and Ludwig because he was Gilbert's best friend and brother. Old Fritz also hobbled up and he signed as well because the grooms agreed that Gilbert's grandfather should also act as a witness and be granted that honour. It was more witnesses than necessary… But it seemed appropriate.

Once they finished, Ludwig and Old Fritz sat back down, and Lars took over once again, and said something along the lines of "exchange your vows" but Gilbert was too nervous to hear the entire sentence. He felt faint, but held his ground. He looked at Matt in the eyes and said with outmost seriousness,

"I, Gilbert Beildschmidt, take you Matt Williams, to be my husband," he sucked in a breath, "to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part." Thank god he remembered the whole thing.

Matt gave the smallest of smiles, and returned the words Gilbert had been dying to hear, "I, Matt Williams, take you Gilbert Beildschmidt, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

Romano walked up with the rings, and presented them to Gilbert and Matt.

Gilbert was shaking so hard that he dropped his gold ring, and cracked a nervous grin as Matt whispered a small "relax." The audience smiled sympathetically and this gave Gilbert the courage to continue.

Determined, Gilbert slipped the gold band over his a moment away to-be husband's finger, and Matt did the same. Matt was also shaking, but he managed to do it without a slip-up.

"In front of us all this couple have pledged their vows," Lars smiled, "and it is with the authority vested in me, that I declare they are man and man. You may kiss."

Lars stepped out of the way as Matt and Gilbert kissed and a few pictures were taken.

He stepped back in and gave the last few necessary words, "I present to you Matt Williams-Beildschmidt and Gilbert Beildschmidt-Williams!"

The garden erupted into shouts of joy and clapping and whistling, and Matt's hockey team took their sticks from under their benches and banged them against the edges of the bench as if they were boards, whooping. Matt and Gilbert walked confidently down the aisle and out of their little 'church' and back inside the house.

They had a brief second alone, and Gilbert hugged Matt tightly, tears sparkling in the corners of his eyes, "I love you Matt," he said, "I love you so, so much and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Me too, Gil," Matt smiled as well, squeezing him and placing a kiss on his cheek, "me too."

* * *

><p>Matt and Gilbert had the best night of their life, full of hilarious speeches for them, and a total of three gifts. Matt got a brand new hockey stick from his team; Gilbert got the keys to his dream car—courtesy of his brother, Feliciana and Romano—and all the guests contributed a small amount of money to paying for their new, four-bedroom house.<p>

They had a decently-sized cake that was three layers tall, and had an interesting twist to it—the outside had maple leaf designs all over it with all the NHL teams logos on them, but when they cut the cake, the top inside layer was black, the second was red and the bottom was yellow; it was the German flag. A few older guests snickered at the subtle innuendo.

The dining hall was huge and thanks to Francis, Alice and Gilbert, they had decorated it wonderfully with rainbow streamers and balloons. They had hired a Greek woman, and a Polish man to act as photographers for the wedding, and Gilbert and Matt spent at least two hours taking pictures with just Matt or just Gilbert or both at their photo booth.

They had a wonderful dinner served by Francis and spent the night dancing away and chitchatting and congratulating the married men.

But the wedding came to an end and once every guest had left—which didn't include Alfred and Anya and Anastasyia, they stayed there—Gilbert and Matt let Alfred, Francis and Alice clean up everything while they headed downstairs to consummate their marriage.

Despite the fact that they had been sleeping in the same bed for two years, the two never actually went the whole way—they only fooled around. Well, tonight would be different. This time Matt took the lead, and he told Gilbert to wait outside their door, which he did patiently.

* * *

><p>Matt lit all thirty candles in the room that he and Francis had placed strategically so nothing caught fire. He put the flower petals on the bed gently and breathed in and out to calm his mind. He opened the door and pulled Gilbert inside.<p>

Matt watched anxiously as Gilbert took in the romantic setting in awe.

"I love it," Gilbert breathed, and then he went ahead and kissed Matt, battling for dominance with his tongue. Through the intense and passionate kisses, they managed to kick off their shoes and wiggle out of their suit jackets, and Gilbert put Matt onto the bed gently and climbed on top of him.

Matt tried to undo Gilbert's pants, and this time, Gilbert let Matt do it, telling him to relax. Taking a deep breath, Matt managed to undress Gilbert, and then it was Gilbert's turn.

_Interesting,_ Matt thought as he watched Gilbert undo Matt's shirt buttons, _he drops the ring yet is a pro at undressing me._

Gilbert smirked as he looked down to see Matt getting hard, when suddenly he was faced with something he hadn't thought through. Matt, worried, noticed Gilbert's pause and asked him what was wrong.

"Um…" the albino scratched his head, "Do you want me to go in or do you want to go in me?" Matt was confused for a second before he realized was Gilbert was asking. His face flamed bright red in the orange glow of the candles.

"Uh…" Matt looked into Gilbert's eyes and thought about it for a while, before making his decision, "You can take the lead tonight."

"Okay," Gilbert nodded, and finished the deed of undressing.

From there, the two shared a night so passionate that Francis and Alice could hear them going at it from the third floor, hearing a mix of German, English and French through the ventilation system, complete with the occasional giggle fit. Thankfully it only lasted for four or so minutes—this was normal—and Francis and Alice were able to go to sleep.

Back in the basement, the candles dimmed and the newly weds fell asleep soundly in each other's arms, physically the closest they ever were together.

Gilbert rubbed Matt's ring finger, admiring the gold as his eyes closed.

"I love you," Gilbert whispered, as the last candle went out and he was engulfed in darkness, lying beside his lover.

"I love you too."

**THE END.**

* * *

><p>It's finally over.<p>

I did my research on the wedding processes! There are groomsmen and bridesmaids during a traditional ceremony, but I was like "f*ck it i don't have enough relevant characters". (Books, movies and media are over exaggerating, by the way, sex only lasts between 2-10 minutes, not 20 as it is depicted in the media. Just thought I'd put that little tidbit in! I tried to make this fic as realistic as possible).

Also, every single main character from the show has been mentioned, whether they play a very small part (Nyo!Greece being a photographer, or Turkey being a taxi driver) or a big part (Axis and Allies + Netherlands). I hope you guys can appreciate that bit, I tried my best to include everybody. Sorry for the OCs, even if they're all just kids/babies. I don't like them, but hey, I'm a hypocrite and I wanted them in there.

Thanks for being here and commenting on the chapters (your comments are the _best_) as we went through this epic journey together. Though it has to end, as everything does eventually. It was really fun to write, and it wouldn't have been possible without your encouragement.

As always,

~Awesome Maple


	27. Epilogue

Finally, the last chapter of What Must Shall Be.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: finally, once and for all, I do not own Hetalia.

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

"Gil?" Matt tried to wake up his self-proclaimed Prussian (though he was actually just German) husband, who had slept in. They'd been married for two months now.

"No," Gilbert muttered, shoving his head under the pillow, "I don't want to wake up…"

"We're going to adoption centre today!" Matt yelled in his ear, and Gilbert suddenly shot up, nearly smacking his head against his husband's. Thank god Matt was a hockey goalie with killer reflexes.

"That's right!" Gilbert bounded out of bed and got dressed, shoving his breakfast down his throat and then locking the wooden door to their awesome house as Matt honked the horn of the car. They were late!

* * *

><p>Matt speedily pulled up to the adoption centre in Gilbert's Audi A6, the best car ever. They had really made the decision to adopt when they saw all their friends getting kids and were there to look for a child to call their own. Really, Gilbert had one day blurted, out of nowhere, "What do you think about adoption?" and Matt ended up agreeing.<p>

"Ready?" Matt asked Gilbert, who nodded. Hand in hand, they walked in to the front desk.

"We're the Beildschmidt-Williams," Gilbert introduced them, and the female secretary frowned at their joined hands, seeing gold wedding bands flash. They were ushered to the waiting room where another straight couple were waiting.

"Hey faggots," the guy said when his partner excused herself to go to the bathroom, "ever tried banging a girl?"

"Yes," Gilbert said simply, and the man frowned.

"Well, why are you married to a guy?"

"We're bisexual," Gilbert explained, and the man was about to contradict when his wife/girlfriend came back. The man didn't say anything. Matt squeezed Gilbert's hand, and told him to just stop. It didn't matter what they thought.

"Beildschmidt-Williams?" A man came in through a door, and Matt and Gilbert stood. He smiled tightly, just like the lady at the front desk. Clearly, he was also homophobic.

"Right this way," he ushered them into another room, where the three children they had chosen to join their family of two were waiting. They had originally hoped for one child, but Gilbert saw these three older children who didn't want to be separated and fell in love with them.

But it wasn't only their personalities—it was also because the children were bilingual; they spoke both English and German. Freida and Niklas showed interest in hockey, so Matt naturally loved them too. Oskar loved to ski, apparently, so Gilbert was excited for that. Gilbert was a great skier.

The men had spent an entire two weeks getting the bedrooms for the three kids ready while their paperwork went through. They luckily had moved into a four-bedroom house so each child had a room for his or her own.

Gilbert and Matt walked into the room where the three children, Oskar, Freida and Niklas rushed and hugged them. Oskar was a young boy of twelve years old, Freida was an eight-year-old girl—and a hockey prodigy, apparently—and the youngest was six years old, a young boy named Niklas. This was typically 'too old' to adopt, but the two men didn't care.

"Thank you," Gilbert thanked the man and helped Matt and Oskar carry their measly luggage that held a few basic necessities and buckled them up in the car. Gilbert was beyond excited—but also rather nervous. He hoped the kids would like their new home and the public school.

Gilbert and Matt had also arranged for the kids to be enrolled in the nearby public elementary and middle schools, and had sacrificed a lot of money to get ready to buy school supplies and clothes for the kids—they in fact spent an entire week eating at Lars' place and taking the free food offered at their workplaces to save money.

"Are you excited?" Gilbert asked the children, and they remained quiet. If there was something he'd learned very quickly about the children, it was that they had a dark and difficult past—but he was ready for that, and knew they would warm up eventually. This resulted in them being very quiet.

"Um…" Oskar, twelve, began, "Gilbert…?"

"Yes?" Gilbert asked, turning around in his seat to face him. Matt was driving.

"Can we call you and Matt 'dad' and 'papa'?"

"Of course!" Gilbert grinned, and all three children smiled timidly in return. Matt smiled as he drove. This was a difficult milestone in Matt and Gilbert's lives to organize and plan for, but it was so worth it. Matt went through the extra effort to enrol Freida on the local girl's hockey team and Niklas into the boy's. He even went to sign up Oskar to take skiing lessons. Of course, he'd talked everything over with Gilbert, but Francis helped a little bit financially to make it all work out.

They really wanted the best for their kids.

* * *

><p>About a half hour later, they arrived in their home. Gilbert ran ahead excitedly, followed by Niklas, as he went to unlock the door.<p>

"Welcome to your new home," he said once they had gathered in the entrance on that late August day. The kids were silent, but smiled as usual.

"Do you want to see your rooms?" Matt asked, and the three kids nodded. Gilbert led them all up the stairs and to their bedrooms to put their suitcases down before giving them a quick tour of the house. He then let the kids settle in their rooms while he and Matt prepared dinner.

* * *

><p>Oskar closed the door and Freida and Niklas sat on the ground in front of him.<p>

"What do you think of dad and papa?" he asked.

"I like them," Freida said confidently, "especially Matt. I heard him talking to Gilbert the other day when they were first visiting us, and he's enrolled me and Niklas into hockey and you into skiing lessons."

"Really?" Niklas asked incredulously. He only understood 'Niklas' and 'hockey' and 'Matt', and thus deduced that Matt = hockey, which meant that Matt = good.

"We're also enrolled into school," Oskar informed them. They nodded excitedly.

"They really care about us," Oskar smiled, "I think that we should give them a chance. It's just weird having two dads."

"I don't think it's weird," Niklas and Freida contradicted simultaneously, and Oskar shrugged, "I don't know… I don't know many people with two dads."

"Well…" Freida thought for a moment, before declaring confidently, "We're special!"

"Well, they seem the really like us," Oskar concluded after a moment of silence, "I think we'll give them a chance."

"Kids!" Oskar, Freida and Niklas heard Matt call from downstairs, "Dinner's ready!"

"Coming!" They called back together, and ran down the stairs. Gilbert and Matt made them comfortable at the table and they ate a great first meal—pancakes for dinner. The choice of food made the children giggle.

The new family ate in silence at first, but were soon exchanging smiles, jokes, and eventually playful banter and conversation. Towards the end of dinner, Matt and Gilbert caught each other's gaze and grinned.

Life was good.

In fact, life was really good.

**THE END**

* * *

><p>This was an amazing journey... Thank you all so much.<p>

As always,

~Awesome Maple


	28. Thank You

**Thank You**

Points I would like to make:

1. Thank you letter  
>2. Countries that have stuck with me in this fic<br>3. Favourite followers  
>4. Bestfavourite reviews  
>5. Book post-sequel final vote<br>6. Conclusion

*Context: All stats are as of the 11th of January 2015.

**1. Thank you letter**

Dear Readers,

According to the rules and regulations, I'm NOT allowed to have this here! Please don't tattle on me, I have a burning desire to let you know how much I love you all. That said, let's start!

I started this book as a "yolo f*ck it crack fic lololol this is just to improve writing!" But then the reviews started rolling in. My fic started "rising the ranks" and when I'm looking for some fics to read, I get surprised because my fic is on the first, second or third page… And to think it started at the very last page! The reviews snowballed and I currently have 94 reviews, and every time I posted a chapter, I would get a new review with so many compliments, anything from grammar, to characters, to constructive criticism to feels—but one of the best parts is that I got some of you to ship this. I will be going back and making minor edits to my story, by the way.

Most authors might/probably go into writing something with a goal in mind, but from start to end, I never had a goal for a follower or reader or country or review count goal. I just wanted to write for me at first, but then I started writing for you. I had a 30 chapter goal, but at 26 chapters, I decided that it was good as it was—26 chapters was all it needed, in the end. There was a lot of stuff I wanted to drag out, but then I decided that it wasn't worth it and it worked out like this just fine.

You all really made my day when I wrote something and got a review. Did you know I literally have a folder in my email called 'Happiness' in which I have all my favourite reviews? Yep! They're just so sweet, and now I understand what writers say when they say, "Thanks for the support!". Support = really amazing reviews. The reviews that compliment, the reviews that point you in the right direction for names… The reviews that make you squeal, the reviews that make you smile. That's what support means—And then seeing that a reader followed or liked your story? Amazing!

So in conclusion, I'd just like to say a massive thank you to all of you, and thanks to you, this actually got somewhere and now it's my OTP—something I _never_ planned to happen.

I truly love you all.

~Awesome Maple

**2. Countries that have stuck with me in this fic**

Here is a list of all the countries that started reading—includes October, November, and December, up until January 11th, 2015.

USA, Canada, UK, Ukraine, China, Finland, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, Poland, Panama, Germany, Australia, Portugal, Philippines, Chile, Ecuador, Greece, Netherlands, Russia, Malaysia, Argentina, Iceland, Italy, Singapore, New Zealand, Jamaica, Czech Republic, Guatemala, Venezuela, Hungary, Puerto Rico and Austria (that's incredible!).

Total: 33 countries! That's _amazing_.

**3. Favourite followers**

Cynthia-Chan1449, Illead, GMoriell, Larthrain, and BitterSweet Crazy were my most consistent readers. They commented on nearly every chapter and I _loved_ seeing their reviews. Cynthia-Chan1449 even ended up following me on Tumblr (awesome-maple), which just made him all the more amazing!

So thank you to those particular readers. Also my bestie, who has an account but didn't necessarily comment, helped a _lot_ in giving me a few tips in person at school. She urged me to continue and gave me the real push after telling me she liked the first two chapters. Thanks S.V.

**4. Best/favourite reviews**

Okay, this took a LONG time to sort, but here are my favourite reviews (posted in chronological order, not order of preference).

"Loving this so far, who'd have thought Prussia is good with kids? Just one tip, Emil is Iceland's human name, Norway's is Lukas." – Guest (This was the VERY FIRST review! I think it deserves to be here.)

"I READ THIS I DO I DOOOOOOOOOOO! And I followed your tumblr, not to be s stalker XD have a great day!" – Cynthia-Chan1449

"This is a beautiful piece of literature. I enjoyed reading this a lot! I've never given 2p!Canada/1pPrussia any thought but now I ship it more than I ever planned to. And its really fun to see which characters you genderswap. Hungary made me laugh!" – Larthrain

"I love the plot line of this story, you don't see many fanfictions that portray 2p!Canada as anything but a murderer! (Honestly, I'd imagine him exactly how you are writing him) ITs good! :DD" – Guest

"Ooooh so great! I can't wait for Matt to see a case! Or for Matt to have nightmares. I ship this more than I could ever have foreseen. Thx for writing!" – Larthrain

"Okay this is great and I adore it all so much. I love the buildup to fluff and hurt/comfort and you really have the characters down. :D" – Larthrain

"I've been waiting for this updating for soo long! It almost forever! But if to be honest - the speed of your writing is amazing and I guess I became too spoilt :)" – Gmoriell

"Gilbert needs to know! There's so much going on with Matt, and what did Alfred do! I need to know." – BitterSweet Crazy

"Oh my gods you've made me cry. In happiness of course, but still. I have been feeling absolutely horrible as of late, and quite suicidal. I thank you for this story, it's one of the few things keeping me alive so far. Have an amazing day, and a great life! P.S: You'll see more like from me on tumblr!" – Cynthia-Chan1449 (This review made me quite emotional. Also, you reblog the BEST stuff!)

"There will be a sequel?! You have made me happy! And their relationship is starting to form! I may be wrong, but I just feel it. They're sneaking glances at each other, that means something!" – BitterSweet Crazy

"Matt going to Gil after nightmares is the cutest thing ever, hands-down. And it was hilarious how Gil told Matt's parents they were dating... I feel like that's becoming a recurring thing now. And holy crap the baltics and the shooting I did NOT see that coming." – Larthrain

"Wow, almost every country from Hetalia seasons is already mentioned. Thats really cool. So who is remain? Belarus, Greece... dont sure about Belgium and Turkey..." – Gmoriell (Thanks for recognizing that I wrote in a lot of characters!)

"this is great. I don't normally review cuz I can never figure out what to say, but this chapter was just really funny." - spiritualnekohime4 (Chapter 18 for those wondering!)

"man u dont know how much i like this story i made an account so i could be like 'hey! ur cool' just i love this story man" – wellhellofriends (That is SUCH an honour, this means so much to me).

"I'm ready to see how they react to each other! I hope Alfred's girlfriend isn't who I think it is! And yes, they finally kissed! I knew Gilbert would feel something, but he's still resisting!" – BitterSweet Crazy

"Oh, our one difference.. I'm a Leafs fan XD. But thank you so much! I can't believe I'm one of your favourite fans. Have an amazing day, Auf Wiedersehen!" – Cynthia-Chan1449 (For those who are reading this—I'm a Montreal Canadiens fan. This one made me laugh. Also Cynthia-Chan1449 always bids me to have a good day, and that makes me smile.)

"By the way it's wellhellofriends but I um forgot my pass and I um yeah bUT THIS IS WONDERFUL; I LOVE YOU; THIS IS A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY PRESENT! :DD u make me very happy. Also merry Christmas!" – Guest

"I cannot emphasize how much this chapter kept me rolling around on my bed :"D TOO CUTE OMGOMGOMGOMG KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK! *\(o)/*" - Musichobos (Guest) (Chapter 20—this also made me laugh).

"Dang it Gilbert! Why can't you just be gay?!  
>I really love this story, and it's regular updates. Your writing is well developed and your grammar is awesome." – Guest<p>

"Aw man, what's gonna happen next?  
>Nobody knows! It's up to Gil! Poor Matt! I'm way too invested in this story. Excellent." – Larthrain<p>

"dude im so pumped for this chapter and it delivered ! also happy new years, hope u have a good one!" – wellhellofriends

"Wooo another chapter! It's amazing how you update so often. You go!  
>Matt and Gil are really on thin ice. I like it. Good writing!" – Larthrain<p>

"Why?! Why would you do that to my hopeful, Prucan loving heart?! You are an excellent writer, but..but...my OTP!" – Tonio Carriedo

"Omg...Why?! Matt and Gilbert were making some type of progress at first! Gilbert needs to realize that it's a mistake! And Matt, he must be so upset...!" – BitterSweet Crazy

"So, if it DOES end in PruHun, I'll be a bit disappointed, but I do like the Lars and Sakura thing, though I normally hate all by 2P!Japan. Your female Japan is cool, I really, really like her. Maybe Matt ends up with someone not Gilbert and end up never talking to him again, and Gil's happily, or unhappily, with Elizabeta, a girl he hardly knows, but I just want Mattie to be happy when it ends, my only requirement to follow it, really. Not a fan of PruHun, but it definitely fits the plot. I liked this chapter, believe it or not, very, very well written.  
>All my love,<br>Illead" – Illead (I'm sure you're very happy it turned out as it did!)

"YESH *flies aushun flag* I feel so bad for Gilbert but at the same time I love AusHun... This fic is amazing! You are a fantastic writer, keep up the good work :)" - Hergestellt in Deutschland

"This chapter was hilarious! And I love this. Please update soon, and have a great day!" – Cynthia-Chan1449

"I love that story! I think you did a really great job with it. I vote for option B! You have successfully made me obsessed with that pairing." – Tonio Carriedo

"This story was amazing and wonderfully written, I can't wait for your next story. I like options a)b) and d), not very helpful for you picking. But I'd have to say b) is my favourite. I love 2pCan and 1pPrussia, there aren't nearly enough fanfics with the two of them." – Peryton

"-Dies of happiness- Oh my gosh, the FEELS of this CHAPTER. I forever love you. You made me cry, not those pansy tears but legitimate crying" - EricaValdez8893

"[cries] i cant wait for the epilougueluigi. i cant man. i cant believe this is over. u really r a great writer (even better with keeping it realistic) idk what to say. keep working on ur stuff man bc boy r u great man bro i cant bro" - Guest

**5. Book post-sequel final vote  
><strong>

a) 0  
>b) 4<br>c) 0  
>d) 7<p>

There are the stats! Not many people commented, which surprised me, I have to admit. Also, two friends of mine voted for d) as well. I can't wait to try writing Maria (Fem!Prussia) and Matt!

**6. Conclusion**

In conclusion, I just wanted to say thank you for all the love and support I received from you all. Every single review made me smile and it was hard to pick my faves. Just seeing how many readers I got following this made me smile with glee, and I admit, I _did_ brag about you guys and showed my friends all the great reviews.

Because of you, I kept going and I ended up with a drive to finish the story. I could have quit so many times, but I held on and actually _finished a long piece of writing. This is a huge milestone for me. _I feel blessed with the opportunity you gave me and made me grow the willpower to keep writing. Again, thank you forever for making this story possible.

Love,

~Awesome Maple


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